SNOQUALMIE – The Mount Si Wildcats softball team split a doubleheader last Saturday in Yakima against two of the Mid-Valley League’s top softball powers.

Pitcher Kandis Clesson and shortstop Amy Trenkamp were the stars of the first game against Hanford. The Falcons ran into a buzzsaw known as another strong Clesson outing. Clesson fired a one-hitter, striking out 12 and only walking one as Mount Si shut out Hanford 4-0. Trenkamp’s first-inning solo home run set things in motion for the offense. She and Clesson each had two hits apiece, and Lacey Blais, Katie Brett and Emily White also contributed to the cause with a run apiece in the three-run second inning.

‘Cats can’t handle West Valley

Things were continuing to go well for Mount Si in the second game as the Wildcats quickly built a 2-0 lead over West Valley of Yakima. With Clesson on second base, Ashley Svarthumle hit a groundball to short and things immediately changed. Clesson, in an attempt to break up a forceout of herself at third base, slid hard into the Rams’ third baseman. Not only was she called out, but the umpire tossed the star junior pitcher out of the game for failure to avoid a collision. With Clesson out of business for the day, Brett was ushered into emergency duty on the mound. West Valley whacked Brett hard, scoring 11 runs on her over four innings. The defense didn’t help either, as Mount Si committed four errors in the span and the Rams rolled to 12-4 victory.

With the ejection, Clesson was not expected to play in the Wildcats’ next contest earlier this week, either against Liberty or Interlake, as she was facing a one-game suspension.

Clesson will likely, however, be back in time for the big contest Friday at home against Issaquah. First pitch at Centennial Fields in Snoqualmie is scheduled for 4 p.m. with the marquee match up expected to be on the mound between Clesson and the Eagles’ Brenda Bray.