Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – CR third baseman Lily Peterson fields a ball during Wednesday’s doubleheader.

After more than two months of travel and 20 road games, the College of the Redwoods softball team finally played its first home games of the season on Wednesday, sweeping both ends of a doubleheader against Lassen.

Game one was yet another close affair for the Corsairs, who rallied to win 6-5, their sixth one-run result in their opening seven conference games, while game two was a more comfortable 11-3 victory.

Lily Peterson drove home the winning run in the opener on an RBI single, moments after Juliana Ortega-Miranda had tied things up on a two-run home run.

The CR women had to rally twice, overcoming a 2-0 deficit with three runs in the bottom of the third, and then answering Lassen’s three runs in the top of the fifth with three of their own in the bottom half of the inning.

CR’s Juliana Ortega-Miranda reacts after being called out at first base on Wednesday.

The game was switched from the CR campus to McKinleyville High, but the home-advantage still played into the Corsairs’ hands.

“It was nice to be the home team and to hit last,” said CR head coach Maggie White, whose team improved to 4-4 in the Golden Valley Conference. “We lost a couple of tough road games at Feather River by one run, and that’s one of those games where the home team has the advantage coming down to the end.”

Peterson steps up

Peterson led the way at the plate in the opener, finishing 2-for-2 with an RBI, while Amy Reyes and Adriana Chavez each had an RBI single.

Lindsey Scott rounded out a six-hit team performance.

CR pitcher Ashley Stockwell.

In the circle, Ashley Stockwell pitched the complete game for the win.

Scott got the win in the nightcap, tossing a no-hitter through three innings before White pulled her as a precaution after she took a knock while running the bases.

Scott struck out five in three innings work and improved to 6-5 on the season.

Juliana Ortega-Miranda and Stockwell each pitched in relief as the Corsairs comfortably held on for the win after opening up a five-run lead in the second inning and adding three more in the third.

“In game two, we hit better,” said White, whose team scored their 11 runs on 10 hits. “We hit more like the way I expected us to.”

CR infielder Dakota Small

Strong defense

White also paid tribute to her defense, particularly her infield, with not a single out going to the outfield.

“Our infield is strong,” White said. “And Ashley does a good job feeding our infield. She knows where to throw it, and that’s her strength, getting people to hit into outs.”

At the plate, remarkably the CR women struck out just once all day.

“That’s huge,” White said. “When you can put the ball in play, things are going to happen.”

Lily Peterson and Becca Tripp opened the second inning of the nightcap with back-to-back singles, before back-to-back walks by Stockwell and Reyes gave the home team the lead.

Chavez then hit a two-RBI single, before Reyes scored on a double-steal attempt to make it 4-0.

Ortega-Miranda capped a big inning for the home team with an RBI single to stretch the lead to five.

Stockwell made it 6-0 in the bottom of the third with an RBI single, before a Reyes groundout plated Tripp, who had reached base on a fielder’s choice.

Chavez continued the early onslaught with another RBI single for an 8-0 lead.

Ortega-Miranda led the way at the plate, finishing 3-for-4, while Chavez had two hits and two RBIs.

Peterson capped a big day by going 2-for-4, while Pheobe Marsh and Adriana Cantana each also had a hit.

The Corsairs, 8-14 overall, will play two more doubleheaders at home this week, hosting Shasta and Siskiyous on campus on Friday and Saturday.

Both doubleheaders begin at noon.

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Ray Hamill writes at humboldtsports.com, where you can read lots more about sports in Humboldt County.