Monroe softball overcomes shaky start to beat Lake Stevens

MONROE — Monroe starting pitcher Alyssa Egan allowed two runs in the first inning, but didn’t allow a run the rest of the way to lead the Bearcats to a 5-2 victory over Lake Stevens in a battle for second place in the Wesco North.

Egan retired the first batter to open the game, but two singles and a two-run RBI double by Vikings catcher Tehya Harney gave the Vikings an early 2-0 lead.

Monroe came back in the bottom half of the first inning behind a single by Kiley Ochoa. Egan followed with an RBI double, and then Devan Larsen hit a two-run home run to make it a 3-2 game.

“She (Egan) had a rough start in that first inning,” said Bearcats coach Curt Eskeback. “After that inning she was able to find her spots better, and just kind of settled down and shut them out the rest of the game.”

Egan finished the game with 10 strikeouts, and even helped her cause offensively by batting 3-for-4 with the first inning RBI double and by crossing the plate twice.

Larsen finished the game batting 2-for-3 with a double to go along with her first inning home run. Freshman first baseman, Michaela Johnson, made the game 5-2 for Monroe with a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth inning to secure the win.

Harney’s RBI double was the only Lake Stevens extra-base hit on the afternoon.

With the win the Bearcats improve to 3-1 to remain in second place in the Wesco North standings. Monroe falls to 2-3 in league with the loss.

At Sky River Park

Lake Stevens2000000—272

Monroe3000200—591

Sierra Card and Tehya Harney. Alyssa Egan and Rachael Delamar. WP—Egan (6-2). LP—Card. 2B—Harney (LS), Egan (M), Devan Larsen (M). HR—Larsen (M). Records—Lake Stevens 2-3 league, 3-7 overall. Monroe 3-1, 6-2.