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Softball teams that win five of six to open the season rarely take comfort in moral victories.

But Columbia Basin came take some solace after Sunday’s 8-0 and 8-7 pre-regional losses to Mt. Hood in Pasco. The one-run loss marked just the third time in 10 games the third-ranked and unbeaten Saints have won by fewer than eight runs.

“We played them well,” said CBC coach Adrian Ochoa. “They scored 28 runs and had 40 hits vs. Walla Walla (on Saturday), so to hold them the way we did today, I’m proud of our pitching and our defense.”

The Hawks (5-3) also could be proud of how they opened the weekend, sweeping defending NWAACC champion and preseason No. 1 Clackamas 4-3 and 7-4 on Saturday.

Ashlen Ayres bases-clearing double in the fourth inning of the opener helped CBC rally from a 3-1 deficit, and pitcher Brenda Rodriguez closed with three shutout innings.

Ayres and Maddie Chambers each hit two-run homers in the second game, and Gabby Meza went the distance in the circle.

“It was a huge opening day at home for us to take two from the NWAACC champions,” Ochoa said.

On Sunday, Bailey Walthers went 3-for-4 and JoAnna Quezada homered to power the Hawks in the finale. But Mt. Hood pushed across the winning run in the top of the seventh with a two-out single to complete the sweep.

CBC overcame some serious adversity in the game, losing Chambers to an injury early in the game (she’s expected back this weekend) and falling in a four-run hole.

The Hawks rallied in the bottom of the sixth to pull even. Quezada and Lacey Padilla led off with singles and came around on RBI hits from Walthers and Ayres. They in turn scored on Caitlyn Stevens single.

In the opener, Rodriguez posted three shutout innings before Mt. Hood slugger Maycee Abendschein belted a two-run home run in the fourth. The Saints went deep four times on the day, two by Abendschein.

The Hawks are off until next weekend, when Everett and Southwestern Oregon come to town for doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday.

Mt. Hood 000 215 — 8 10 0
Columbia Basin 000 000 — 0 4 2
Ann-Marie Guischer and Courtney McCarthy; Brenda Rodriguez, Gabby Meza (6) and JoAnna Quezada. Highlights—Guischer (MH) 6IP-4H-0R-2BB-9K; Maycee Abendschein (MH) 3x4, HR, 2R, 2RBI; Kylee Gasper (MH) 2x3, HR, 2R, 2 RBI; Bianca Hancock (MH) 2 RBI; Ashlen Ayres (CBC) 2x3; Rodriguez (CBC) 2B.
Mt. Hood 100 411 1 — 8 12 0
Columbia Basin 200 104 0 — 7 14 3
Brittney Dawson and Hancock; Meza, Rodriguez () and Quezada. Highlights—McCarthy (MH) 3x4, 2B, HR; Heather Jett (MH) 2x4, RBI; Abendschein (MH) HR, 2R; Hancock (MH) 2x3; Emma Bird (MH) 2x4; Bailey Walthers (CBC) 3x4, 2R, RBI; Rodriguez (CBC) 2x3; Quezada (CBC) 2x4, HR, 2R, RBI.

Published with permission of the Tri-City Herald. Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald