Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Arcata’s Claire Monge reacts during Friday’s doubleheader.

The Arcata Tigers and Del Norte Warriors played out a wild and entertaining doubleheader at Arcata High on Friday.

It was also a slow and drawn-out doubleheader that lasted for well over five hours.

The Tigers had to rally from a couple of early deficits in game one, but scored runs in all six innings on the way to a 13-10 win.

In game two, the visitors rallied to score three times in the top of the seventh and held on for a dramatic 8-6 win.

Arcata’s Kori McCracken dives back to first base.

Digging deep

The Warriors scored six runs in the opening two innings of the first game but were held scoreless over the following three innings as the home gradually pulled back.

The Tigers took a one-run lead in the bottom of the fourth inning and then appeared to take control of the game with five runs in the fifth, only to see the visitors rally with four runs over the final two innings to make things interesting.

“I am coaching a great group that dug deep to battle back in this win,” Arcata head coach Teresa Stavert said. 

Arcata pitcher Raina Ausburn

The Warriors’ refusal to give up paid dividends in a thrilling second game that went back and forth.

The Tigers took a two-run lead in the second, only to see the Warriors open up a 4-2 advantage in the top of the third.

Once again the home team rallied, scoring three runs in the bottom of the fourth to re-take the lead.

Sophomore standouts

A pair of sophomores stepped up big for the Tigers in the inning.

With two runners on and one out, Bella Volz-Broughton hit a double to drive home both runs to tie the game, before Ella Day had a pinch-hit double to score Volz-Broughton for the go-ahead run.

Makayla Bernald drove in an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth, scoring Kori McCracken, who had doubled to get on base.

It wasn’t enough insurance, however, with the Warriors rallying to score four runs over the final two innings, while holding the Tigers scoreless the rest of the way.

“Del Norte played very well today, we were very lucky to split,” Stavert said.

Frustration

McCracken finished the second game 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Volz-Broughton was 2-for-3 in the opener with two RBIs.

Arcata’s Muluvey Solia was 1-for-2 in the opener with two RBIs.

Afterwards, Stavert expressed her frustration at the drawn-out nature of the games.

“I feel the officiating was critical and played a major role in the games,” she said. “I am very low key but when my players and Del Norte’s work two to three hours each day, to have the game tempo, strike zone and flat calls affect the game makes me sad.”

With the split, the Tigers are now 5-4 in the Big 5 and 11-5 overall, while the Warriors are 1-6 in conference.

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