Bonney Lake Softball Battled by First-Place Rogers in 6-2 Loss on Warm Spring Afternoon

Morgan Berg - 2 for 3, Double, 2 RBI

On one of the warmest days of the young season, it felt like a midseason test in early April as the Bonney Lake Panthers took the field against first-place Rogers with the sun out, a good crowd on hand, and plenty at stake.

The Rams, who finished second in the state last season, entered the matchup unbeaten in district play at 5-0 (7-2 overall), while Bonney Lake sat just behind at 4-1 in league and 6-3 overall. From the first pitch, it had the feel of a game that would come down to execution.

It turned into exactly that, a pitcher’s duel.

Freshman ace Gigi Bell got the ball for the Panthers and showed once again why she’s been the tone-setter all season. Entering the game with 58 strikeouts and a 2.27 ERA, Bell had been one of the most reliable arms in the league, and she added to that total with eight more strikeouts, pushing her to 66 on the year.

Gigi Bell - 7.0 IP, 8 SO

Even with early traffic in the first inning, Bell stayed composed, working out of trouble while picking up key outs to keep Rogers off the board.

Across the diamond, Rogers’ Sierra Murray was just as sharp, and maybe a little more overpowering. Murray came out throwing with intent, attacking hitters and ultimately finishing with 18 strikeouts on the afternoon, making every at-bat a battle for the Panthers.

Neither team was able to break through early. After a scoreless first, the game settled into a rhythm with quick innings on both sides. Bell found her groove in the second and third, retiring hitters efficiently, while Bonney Lake continued to grind at the plate against Murray’s velocity.

The breakthrough finally came in the fourth.

Addison Hanel - 1 for 3, 1 R, 1 BB

A passed ball allowed Rogers to push across the first run of the game, and a base hit shortly after made it 2-0. It wasn’t a big inning, but in a game like this, it felt significant.

Bonney Lake looked for an answer, and it came from Morgan Berg.

The center fielder broke up the no-hit bid and continued to put together one of the best performances of the night. Berg finished 2-for-3 with a double and 2 RBIs, and with that performance, she now sits at .429 on the season, leading the Panthers in runs (11), hits (12), and doubles (4). On a day where offense was hard to come by, she was the one Panther who consistently found a way.

The game stayed tight through the fifth, with both pitchers continuing to deal, and it set the stage for Bonney Lake’s biggest moment in the sixth.

Bonney Lake Panthers Softball

With runners on, Berg stepped in again and delivered, driving a slicing double into right field that found the perfect spot to score both Addison Hanel and Audrina Lickey, tying the game at 2-2. The crowd came alive as the Panthers, who had been grinding all afternoon, finally broke through.

For a moment, it felt like momentum had fully shifted.

But good teams respond, and Rogers did just that.

In the top of the seventh, the Rams delivered the biggest swing of the game, a two-run home run that immediately flipped the momentum back in their favor. They didn’t stop there, adding two more runs in the inning to stretch the lead to 6-2 and put the game out of reach.

Bell finished with a complete game effort in the circle, continuing to show poise against one of the top teams in the league, even as Rogers capitalized on their opportunities late.

Bonney Lake couldn’t mount another comeback in the bottom half, and the Rams walked away with a 6-2 win in what felt like an early measuring stick game for both teams.

Despite the loss, there was plenty to take away. The Panthers went toe-to-toe with one of the top programs in the state, showed resilience after falling behind, and proved they can compete in tight, high-level games.

Bonney Lake will have little time to reset, traveling to Puyallup on Tuesday to take on the Vikings in another key matchup as league play continues to heat up.

Box Score

Batting

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR	3B	2B	SB
Zhosi Pool	3	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Addison Hanel	3	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	0
Audrina Lickey	4	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Anna Iovino	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Maddie Speir	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Morgan Berg	3	0	2	2	0	0	0	1	0
Rylee Craig	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Liv Hochstedler	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Morgan Taylor	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Gigi Bell	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0

Pitching

Pitcher	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	W	SV
Gigi Bell	7.0	8	6	6	3	8	0	0

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