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Rethlake's perfect relief, late hot bats earn Lady Vikes win over Blackford

Perfect relief by Erin Rethlake and late hitting by the Huntington North High School varsity softball team gave the Lady Vikings 10-4 win over host Blackford on Friday, April 26.

After the Lady Bruins struck for four runs on starter Mikayla Gray in the first inning of the game, Rethlake took the mound and pitched a perfect game the rest of the way, while the Lady Viking bats finally got going in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

Rethlake finished out the first for Huntington North, 8-0, and punched out 18 batters over the next six innings for her sixth double-digit strikeout total of the season. The junior did not allow a walk.

Blackford enjoyed its 4-0 lead until the fourth inning, when the Lady Vikings stuck three runs on the board, followed by five in the fifth and two more in the sixth to take the game to its final tally.

Natasha Grover went 3 for 4 at the plate with three runs batted in and two runs scored for Huntington North.

Makayla Whaley also supplied three RBI, with two pokes and a run. Tiffany Burke had as many hits and plated two and Cassie Lange banged out three hits with an RBI. Audrey Hiner, Maddi Kennedy, Alyssa Hiple and Rethlake each added two hits as North banged out 19 safeties on the evening.