Bonney Lake tennis: Panthers claim league fastpitch title

Bonney Lake High celebrated Senior Day Thursday as Caitlin Colvin, Eva Beal and Alexis Miller played their final home game and celebrated with a 9-1 win over White River in South Puget League Sound 3A play.

Bonney Lake High celebrated Senior Day Thursday as Caitlin Colvin, Eva Beal and Alexis Miller played their final home game and celebrated with a 9-1 win over White River in South Puget League Sound 3A play.

Coach Dave Loveless had his seniors and starters playing in various positions for several innings and built a 2-0 lead.

But White River closed the gap to one in the top of the sixth. Later in the inning, White River had bases loaded with two outs, before the Panthers got out of the inning without surrendering any additional runs.

The Panther bats came alive in the sixth as they pushed seven runs across the plate. They finished with 10 hits.

Colvin and Taylor McCarthy had three hits each. Colvin had a home run and a triple. Brittany Myers added two hits and scored a run.

McCarthy picked up the win with three innings on the mound. She gave up one hit. Colvin, who started the contest, struck out seven batters.

The Panthers blanked Franklin Pierce 4-0 in league play April 29 on the road.

Bonney Lake scored a run in each of the first two innings, then added two more runs in the fifth.

Colvin and Beal combined for all six of the Panthers’ hits with three each.

Colvin also struck out 15 batters to post the win.

“We played real good last week and I like the direction we are going,” Loveless said.

The Panthers close out the SPSL 3A season Thursday in Sumner.

With last week’s two wins, the Panthers captured the SPSL 3A championship and will play for seeding into the subdistrict tournament with the Seamount League next week at Sprinker Recreation Center in Spanaway.

The Panthers have scheduled three nonleague games against some of the area’s top 4A schools in preparation for the district tournament. They play at Emerald Ridge Tuesday, at Kentwood May 18 and at Rogers May 19.

Reach Dannie Oliveaux at doliveaux@courierherald.com or 360-802-8209.