Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Arcata’s Makayla Bernald delivers a pitch in a game against Lower Lake at the McKinleyville tournament on Friday. Tournament action continues on Saturday.

Several local teams were in action in softball and baseball on Friday, taking full advantage of the good weather, both locally and on the road.

Softball

Fortuna 7, El Molino 2

Senior Paige Johnson had a huge day at the plate as the Fortuna Huskies made it two straight wins to start the season, defeating El Molino at the Cloverdale tournament on Friday.

Johnson was 3-for-3 with a home run and two triples, as well as walking once and driving home a pair of runs.

Jessica Bernal also had a big day, with a two-RBI double, while Morgan Murray finished with two hits.

“I was very pleased with our approach at the plate,” Fortuna head coach Eric Helms said. “Our hitters used the whole field and consistently found the gaps.”

Pitcher Jackie Duncan got the win in the circle, allowing two unearned runs on five hits and six walks, while striking out four.

“Jackie Duncan hit her spots more consistently, especially early in the game,” Helms added.

The Huskies (2-0) continue tourney play on Saturday, playing the host Eagles at 10 a.m.

Baseball

McKinleyville 17, Clear Lake 7

The Panthers kept their winning start to the season going with a comfortable victory over Clear Lake at the Fort Bragg tournament on Friday.

Lance Lally got the win on the mound, pitching four innings in relief of starter Corbin Eichin.

At the plate, Eichin was 3-for-5 with a double, while Kyler Carr and Cameron Saso each also had three hits.

The win was the Panthers’ third straight to start the season.

“Our pitchers struggled a little to throw strikes, and there’s still room for improvement,” McKinleyville head coach Scott St. John said. “But we’re playing pretty well.”

The Panthers will play Esparto Saturday morning at 9.

St. Bernard’s 2, Colusa 3

St. Bernard’s 11, Hoopa 0

The Crusaders split a pair of games at the Fort Bragg tournament on Friday, losing a pitchers’ duel against Colusa and responding with a comfortable win over Little 4 rivals Hoopa.

Bode Joyner pitched a complete-game two-hitter in the opener, but a sixth-inning error led to the winning run scoring for a Colusa team that improved to 6-0.

Freshman lead-off hitter Braeden Zimmerman also impressed for the Crusaders, reaching base three times and scoring one of his team’s two runs.

Another freshman, Nick Dugan, also had a big showing in the second game, striking out 11 of the 12 batters he faced on the way to posting the win.

Logan Petrusha struck out two in the fifth inning to close out the game, as the Crusaders improved to 3-1.

At the plate, Harmon Daniel and Cole Petrusha each had two hits and a pair of RBIs, while Joyner finished 2-for-2 with a triple and an RBI.

Lane Thrap will take the mound for the Crusaders when they close out tournament play on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.

Eureka 4, Shasta 8

Eureka 1, Foothill 7

Mental mistakes proved costly for the Loggers in both games at the Shasta tournament on Friday, as they dropped two straight to close out tournament play.

The Loggers gave up four runs in the sixth and final inning of game one, and followed that by giving up five runs in the seventh inning of game two.

The two big innings were the difference on the day.

“We had some inexcusable mistakes,” Eureka head coach Jackie Christensen said. “It was kind of a disappointing day.”

Brady Munson got the start on the mound in the opener, giving up three runs in three innings, before reliever Nate Fowler came in and tossed two strong innings.

At the plate, Tyce Mullins had a pair of hits, while Isaac Gutierrez had a double and Nylander and Munson a hit and a run each.

In game two, David Vagle pitched six strong innings before things fell apart late, mostly from a defensive standpoint.

“He did his part,” Christensen said of Vagle. “But the defense around him did not give him much support.”

Neither did the team’s offense, with Vagle and Mullins getting the only two hits against strong Foothill pitching.

“It was a lackluster performance,” Christensen said.

The 3-3 Loggers will try to respond in road games at Ignacio Valley and Sonoma Valley next weekend.

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