Forks wins slugfest over Hoquiam behind four home runs

By Pierre LaBossiere

Olympic Peninsula News Group

FORKS — The Forks softball team got four home runs from Keira Johnson, Avery Dilley and Chloe Gaydeski in winning a wild slugfest 20-15 over Hoquiam at Fred Orr Park on Friday.

The Spartans also took advantage of 10 Hoquiam errors as they won their first game of the year.

After taking a 13-5 lead after just two innings, the Grizzlies rallied with seven runs in the top of the fifth inning to cut a big Forks lead down to 16-14. Forks iced the game with four runs in the bottom of the fifth as the teams combined for 31 hits and nine extra-base hits.

Johnson, Gaydeski, and Lizzy Soto all had huge days. Johnson belted a pair of home runs, her second and third of the season, had four hits total, scored five runs and drove in four. Gaydeski hit a home run and a double, scored two runs and drove in four. Soto was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and five RBIs.

Avery Dilley also hit a home run, scoring two runs and driving in two while Kaidence Rigby had a good game with two hits, two runs batted in and three runs scored. Bailey Johnson was also 2-for-5 with a run scored.

Gaydeski went the entire five innings on the mound. She gave up 14 hits and nine earned runs as offense ruled the day. She also struck out three.

Forks (0-0, 1-2-1) next hosts old Evergreen League foe Montesano at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in another nonleague game.

Forks 20, Hoquiam 15

Hoq. 2 3 0 3 7 x x — 15 14 10

Forks 5 8 2 1 4 x x — 20 17 3

Pitching

Forks — Gaydeski 5 IP, 14 H, 9 ER, 3 K.

Hitting

Forks — K. Johnson 4-4, 2HR, 5 R, 4 RBI; Gaydeski 2-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, 4 RBI; Soto 2-5, 2 R, 5 RBI, SB; Rigby 2-4, 3 R, 2 RBI; B. Johnson 2-5, R; Dilley 1-3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI; Romberg 1-3, 2 R.