The Del Norte Warriors will be glad to see the back of McKenzie Gonsalves.
On Saturday, the McKinleyville senior pitcher led her team to a pair of victories in Crescent City, giving her three wins over the Warriors in less than 24 hours, including a pair of shutouts.
The Panthers took the opener 14-3 and followed that with a 4-0 win in the nightcap, improving to 3-0 in the Big 5 and remaining undefeated on the season at 8-0.
In other local softball action on Saturday, Eureka swept a doubleheader against Ukiah and Maria Carrillo in Ukiah, while Arcata swept two from Fortuna in the Big 5 to stretch their winning streak to eight straight.
In the Little 4, the Hoopa Valley girls began the defense of their league crown with two wins at home to Ferndale, winning 13-2 and 12-4.
The Loggers had no real problem against Ukiah, rolling to a 16-4 win, but had a tougher time against Maria Carrillo, rallying from a 3-1 deficit with four runs in the fourth inning and holding on for a 5-4 win.
With the two victories, Eureka, which has yet to play a league game, improved to 6-2.
McKinleyville14, Del Norte 3
McKinleyville 4, Del Norte 0
Gonsalves tossed a complete-game shutout in the nightcap, striking out eight while allowing four hits and one walk.
In 16 innings against the Warriors between Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, the Mack standout gave up just two runs.
She also had six hits on offense over the opening two games of the series, while driving home seven runs.
She got plenty of help from a stout Panthers defense and an offense that racked up 34 hits over the three games, including 14 in Saturday’s opener.
The Panthers took control of game one quickly, scoring four runs in the top of the first and leading 10-2 after three.
Lexi White, Olivia Alves, Jaycee Morais and Gonsalves each had a pair of hits in the win, while Makayla Minton, McKenna Turner and Ashley Ballew drove in eight runs between them.
Ballew also had a double, to go with a triple in Friday’s 10-0 win, as did Grace Rosebrook and White.
Minton pitched four strong innings in relief of the starter, allowing just one run on three hits and two walks, while striking out five.
In the nightcap, Morais and Lily Thiesfeld both had the hot bat, finishing with a pair of hits each.
White, Alves and Rosebrook rounded out a seven-hit performance, with White and Alves each driving in a run.
Gonsalves struck out eight.
The Panthers play at Fortuna on Monday at 4 p.m.
Ferndale 2, Hoopa 13
Ferndale 4, Hoopa 12
Freshman pitcher Savannah Colegrove had a memorable Little 4 debut in the opener, striking out five in a complete-game five-inning victory.
Colegrave would have got a shutout but for some late Warriors errors, although the win was an impressive start to the league campaign for the home team.
“Today was a good day,” Hoopa head coach Glenn Moore said. “We were able to do a few different things.”
Jasmine Kenny was Hoopa’s most lively bat in the opener, finishing with a base hit, a pair of walks and two RBIs.
In the second game, Estelle Colegrove pitched the opening four innings, before being forced from the game after suffering a hand injury sliding into home plate.
Estelle Colegrove had five strikeouts, with Dawn Latham pitching three innings in relief and striking out four.
At the plate, Daisy Tracy finished with a pair of hits and an RBI, while Beyonce Bussell and Latham each had a hit and an RBI.
Kenny continued to impress and capped a big day with an RBI.
The Warriors, who had just one game in the previous 21 days, improved to 3-3 on the season.
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Ray Hamill writes at humboldtsports.com, where you can read lots more about sports in Humboldt County.