GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - The Gridley Lady Bulldogs split a doubleheader on Saturday, April 1, 2023, as they hosted a tournament right before they started Butte View League play this week.

The Gridley bats erupted like Mount Vesuvius over the Chester Volcanoes 24-5 in the first game. The 23 hits by Gridley were the most by the Lady Bulldogs in a game since head coach Tammy Carr took over the program.

Carr expressed to the Herald that it was great to have a solid outpour of hitting. Carr was able to put every player in her roster in the game against the Volcanoes, and all players recorded a minimum of one positive stat in the game.

Gridley (7-2) senior catcher Gracie Dunning and junior first baseman Maddie Garcia, who both now are tied for the Lady Bulldogs season hits leader along with junior third baseman Alyssa Thompson both contributed three hits against Chester.

The Lady Bulldogs had 13 different players that recorded RBIs and a total of five extra base hits in the game.

Garcia pitched four innings and surrendered three hits and recorded eight strikeouts.

The second game for Gridley against the Willows Honkers went a different direction as the Lady Bulldogs lost 11-0 in five innings.

Gridley ran into a strong pitching performance from Willows senior pitcher Emily Thurman. Thurman fanned 12 of the Lady Bulldogs for strikeouts as part of her one-hit shutout performance Saturday afternoon.

Thompson said that Thurman had good movement on her pitches throughout the afternoon.

“We haven’t seen much movement like that other than West Valley so far,” Thompson said. Gridley lost to West Valley in the Anderson tournament 6-0 on March 17.

Thompson added that it was good to see, especially before the beginning of BVL play, which the Lady Bulldogs began this week.

Gridley sophomore pitcher Reese Stevens took her first loss of the season in her 4.2 innings pitched with two strikeouts.

The game was tight until the fourth inning before the Honkers were able to get some separation with a 6-0 lead inning.

Gridley committed untimely errors throughout the game that just wouldn’t happen on a regular game-to-game basis.

“We know we’re not going to be perfect and with today being an off day, we’re going to be positive,” Stevens said.

Thompson added that every team is going to have a bad game.

Carr said that it took the girls a while to adjust to Thurman but she saw good approaches at the plate.

The Lady Bulldogs began BVL play this week as they hosted Corning on Tuesday and traveled to Oroville on Thursday.

“The girls are ready,” Carr said.

Although Gridley didn’t win the championship as the host of the tournament, Carr said it was fun to have other local teams join in on the tournament as well.

“A lot of their fans were able to make it out and enjoy it with the great weather,” Carr expressed.