Reedley College opened the 2024 softball season Monday afternoon by splitting a non-conference doubleheader with Hartnell College in Reedley.

The Tigers won the opener 5-4 in just over three hours and 11 innings before dropping the nightcap 5-0. Weather permitting, they are scheduled to play Shasta College in another doubleheader, starting at 11 am Saturday.

Hope Ficher (El Diamanté, Visalia) scored the winning run in the opener as Alsssa Everk (Clovis East) reached on Hartnell's only error of the day, a hard ground ball to shortstop Brooke Siaz. Ficher finished with three hits and three RBI. Her single to right center drove in the tying run in the ninth inning. Ficher finished with three hits while Nissa Gonzalez (McLane, Freno) had two.

Mia Barbosa (Immanuel) was the winning pitcher in relief of starter Alexis Wright (Tulare Western). Wright went the first seven innings.

In the nightcap, Hartnell scored a single run in the second and two more in the third off of  losing pitcher Milee Lerma. Reedley finished with five hits.

By Will Goldbeck