Dayton girls trounce Truckee

DAYTON " The pressure has mounted early this season for the Dayton softball team, one season after reaching the 3A state tournament, with a largely young team. The results, though, have hardly been the same as the Dust Devils stumbled out to a 2-6 record and more importantly 0-3 in league.

At least some the weight was lifted off their shoulders Wednesday afternoon when they defeated Truckee 7-2 in their home opener.

Dayton will play at Truckee at 11 a.m. Saturday.

"It takes a little pressure off when you get that first one under your belt," Dayton coach Dusti Houk said. "I think we started the season with putting pressure on ourselves and not allowing us to play our game. We came out relaxed (Wednesday) and hit the ball much, much better."

Dayton, though, didn't need a hit to grab the lead from the Wolverines for good. Micheala Hoff reached base when she was hit by a pitch in the second inning and crossed home on a wild pitch to give the Dust Devils a 4-3 lead.

Working with a lead was exactly what Melissa Coyle needed. The senior relieved Lindsay Cross after Dayton got the lead and shut down the Wolverines' offense.

"Most of it was just trusting my defense, to know that they had my back," Coyle said.

She got a cushion when Natasha Wells led off the fifth inning with a triple to right center and MacKenzie Cole followed up with a triple of her own to right field, scoring Wells. Cole would later come in on a wild pitch to give Dayton a 6-3 lead.

Wells went 1-for-2 with a sacrifice bunt and a walk, Cole was 2-for-2 with two walks and Mariah Collins went 1-for-3 from the leadoff spot with a walk and a run, which was the Dust Devils' first run of the game. It came when she reached on an error.