WHITEHALL — A late rally by Hart in game one of Tuesday's season-opening doubleheader sent Whitehall to a pair of home losses, 3-2 and 15-5.
The Pirates' Caydence Bateson, Reese Smith and Leah Walker connected on consecutive RBI hits in the sixth inning to erase the Vikings' 2-0 lead in the opener. Whitehall had chances to get the tying run into scoring position in the sixth and seventh, but Hart turned a double play in the sixth and Janie Fagan was thrown out at second while trying to take advantage of a miscue in the outfield after a single with two outs in the seventh.
The Vikes got both their runs in the opener in the second inning. Ryleigh Smith drove in Kayden Johnson on a single, and in the next at-bat, Fagan stole home as part of a double steal.
Beth LeaTrea had a great performance in the circle despite the loss, striking out 14 while allowing six hits and walking two.
Hart took advantage of the momentum from their comeback win in game one to score seven times in the first two innings of the nightcap. The Vikings battled back to reduce the deficit to three runs, 7-4, but Hart pulled away and ended the game in six innings by the mercy rule.
Smith and Toree Carlson had consecutive RBI singles in the first inning of game two, and Becca Miller had a run-scoring single in the third inning. Those were all three of the Vikings' hits in the game. Fagan walked twice and scored twice for Whitehall. Emily Ames allowed two earned runs on three hits in five innings, striking out four.
