Bonney Lake’s veteran fastpitch coach Andrew Sage has been telling anyone that will listen that the Auburn Mountainview windmiller Alleyah Armendariz is easily the best pitcher in the South Puget Sound League 3A.

Armendariz proved Sage correct last week by handing the previously unbeaten Panthers their initial setback of the season.

Bonney Lake traveled to Mountainview Thursday evening with a 11-0 SPSL 3A mark, but returned 11-1 after dropping a 3-2 heartbreaker=.

Not only did Armendariz fan 10 BLHS batters, but also went 3-for-3 from the plate with an RBI, and the run batted in that she provided wound up being the difference maker.

Armendariz accounted for half of the Lions’ six hits against solid BLHS hurler Rendi Johnson.

Sage maintains that one loss isn’t the end of the world for his talented group though and that his BLHS bunch has already gotten over it.

“These girls know that they can be beaten but maybe it is a good thing to get a little of the pressure off. They are competitors, so they will simply learn from their mistakes and bounce back stronger than before in our last three games.”

The Panthers played Lakes Tuesday and have a doubleheader at Enumclaw’s Thursday.

Bonney Lake destroyed Peninsula 13-6 earlier last week, recording 18 hits.

Christian McKone went 4-for-5 at the dish and scored four runs while Kali Patterson went 3-for-4, hitting a double and a triple for three RBI.  Johnson aided her own cause by going 3-for-4 with four RBI.