Del Norte High junior Strand Hill sets up a shot against Eureka High’s Bryce Hutchins. Del Norte Triplicate / Bryant Anderson

That was not enough Tuesday, when Eureka High defeated the Warriors, 7-2, in a team match at Del Norte High School. Going forward, however, there were lessons learned.

“I saw some improvement,” Del Norte head coach Sara Sampels said. “I saw quicker feet today.”

The Warriors’ (2-7 overall) lone victory in a contested match came courtesy of their newest rostered player, junior Strand Hill, who had become eligible for competition last week.

Hill arrived almost an hour late to the Del Norte High tennis courts, with a forfeiture all but officially written in the record book. Matched up against Eureka’s Bryce Hutchins, Hill survived a pro set that eventually went into a tiebreaker scenario, 9-8 (5).

“He’d win two games, I’d win two games,” Hill said. “I either want to be viciously demolishing or (losing badly). I hate really, really close games. It’s exhausting.”

Del Norte High softball has scored 17 runs in its first six games this season. Del Norte Triplicate / Bryant Anderson

Defensive errors plague Del Norte as team record drops to 0-6 this season

At the beginning of a doubleheader Tuesday against Brookings-Harbor High, the Del Norte High softball team came out mentally focused, ready to play.

As the games wore on, however, the Warriors lost their focus and, at times, their composure. Defensive mistakes, in particular, proved fatal.

“Little errors kill us in every sport,” junior Ashton Smedley said. 

The Bruins took advantage of the Warriors’ mistakes in a sweep, winning the first game 2-1 and the second game 14-4.

“The first game was excellent,” Del Norte coach Tom Moore said. “I’ll take a loss like that any day of the week.”

But in the second game, “it was errors that cost us,” Moore added.

Senior pitcher Camryn Ridgley did not allow an earned run in the first game, a complete-game five-hitter for Ridgley. 

“Even when the defense was falling apart, she stuck with it,” Smedley said. “She was a good leader today.”

Michael Lemons, Tony Hobbs and Val Riddick hold lingcod and rockfish caught March 30 out of Brookings with Wild Rivers Fishing. Courtesy of Andy Martin / Wild Rivers Fishing

Smith River

Even this late in the year, when it would be common to catch more downruning steelhead, guides are finding at least half of their catches to be fresh steelhead.

“I think there will be some good fishing to go on the rest of the month,” said fishing guide Mick Thomas.

Thomas has been side drifting roe and pulling No. 30 Hotshots with silver-black bills or silver prism bills. On Tuesday, Thomas’ boat landed four steelhead and five on Monday with about half being fresh steelhead.

Spring run steelhead, also known as bluebacks, have also started to show up, Thomas said.

On Tuesday, after not getting any bites running plugs and side drifting roe, yarn and a puff ball, fishing guide Jim Mitchell started dipping his homemade “yarnies” made with yarn and a puffball into a scented mixture.  He hooked four native, fresh fish with the combination, although he only landed one as the others spit the hooks next to the boat, he said.

Doug Cairns of Crescent City poses with the 16-pound ball he used to bowl a perfect 300 game at Tsunami Lanes on March 27. Cairns, an OIL League player, bowled 18 strikes in a row as part of a 736 series. Del Norte Triplicate / Robert Husseman

Crescent City man bowled a 300 game

A 300 game in bowling requires consistency in the bowler’s stroke and ball movement along with the mental toughness requisite in a good game going great.

Conditions outside the lane are equally important, according to Doug Cairns.

“When you know you have a chance to shoot a game like that, you just hope people stay away,” Cairns said.

“Most people didn’t know what was going on.”

Cairns, a commercial fisherman from Crescent City, bowled the second 300 of his life March 27 at Tsunami Lanes in Crescent City. It is the first 300 game bowled at Tsunami Lanes in the league season, which began in September.

Cairns, who has been bowling for “at least 40 years” and is a decorated tournament player, bowled his first 300 game at Tsunami Lanes “about six years ago.” He used a 16-pound ball for the 300 game on March 27.

“It’s hard to shoot 300s here on the coast because of the humidity,” he said. “The pins don’t fall easier here.”

Cairns is a member of the “What’s Wild?” team in Tsunami Lanes’ OIL League, and the 300 game occurred during league play. It was the second game in a 736 series for Cairns, who scored 246 in the first game and 190 in the third.

Del Norte High baseball players cheer from the dugout during a March 23 game. Del Norte Triplicate / Bryant Anderson

Warriors defeat Ferndale but lose to McKinleyville High in Arcata

The Del Norte High baseball team defeated Ferndale High and lost to McKinleyville High on Saturday at the Arcata Baseball Tournament in Arcata.

The Warriors’ record dipped to 4-5 overall after a Friday loss to Clear Lake High of Lakeport at the tournament.

In the first game, Del Norte’s bats lit up the Wildcats’ pitching staff for 13 runs on 12 hits in a 13-5 victory.

Dylan Pease went 2 for 3 with three runs scored and three RBI for the Warriors, and Aaron Fitch went 2 for 3 with two runs scored.

Josiah Johnson, Nathan Porter, Ryan Gomes, Austin Healy, Chris Bray, Steven Maready, Casey Nelson and Juan Chavez each had one hit for Del Norte. 

Del Norte High sports this week 

The Del Norte High boys tennis team hosts Eureka High today at 2:45 p.m. before embarking on a road trip to McKinleyville Thursday. The match against the Panthers, a make-up from March 28, begins at 3:30 p.m.

Del Norte softball returns to action with a two-day tournament beginning Friday in Yreka. Opponents and game times were unavailable at press time.

The Warriors’ track and field team will also be competing Saturday, at the Brookings-Harbor High School Rotary Invitational in Brookings. The meet begins at 10:30 a.m.

Tsunami Sirens host bout April 13 

Roller derby fans in Del Norte County will be treated to a double dose of action next week.

The Tsunami Sirens of Crescent City are hosting the Jefferson State Maidens of Mayhem (Yreka) on Saturday, April 13, at the Del Norte County Fairgrounds’ main building. 

The Del Norte High track and field team sized itself up against the best of the Humboldt-Del Norte League on Wednesday afternoon and came out in good shape.

The Warriors finished second in the girls’ standings and third in the boys standings at the first HDN League meet of the season, held at Fortuna High School in Fortuna. Point totals for both teams were unavailable at press time.

“The majority of kids improved on their marks and distances. That’s always encouraging,” Del Norte head coach Samuel Escobar said. “The other thing that we saw was, we moved kids around because we want to see if they have talent in other events. That gives us some information.”

The Del Norte High boys tennis team’s struggles continued in Saturday’s home match against Arcata High.

The Warriors dropped their fifth consecutive match to the Tigers, 8-1.

Del Norte senior Blair Westbrook, the Warriors’ No. 1 singles player, accounted for the team’s only win — just as he did in Del Norte’s March 7 match at Arcata. Westbrook defeated Hayden Parker of the Tigers in straight sets, 6-2, 7-5.

Jonathan Calderon allowed one run on two hits while recording five strikeouts and no walks as Del Norte High defeated Illinois Valley High, 12-2 (five innings), in the first game of a doubleheader the Warriors would sweep. Del Norte Triplicate / Bryant Anderson

The Warriors swept Illinois Valley High of Cave Junction — 12-2 (five innings) in the first game and 6-1 in the second game — on Saturday at Del Norte High School.

Del Norte used strong performances by starting pitchers Jonathan Calderon and Luke Seats to boost its record to 3-3 overall.

Calderon, a sophomore, allowed one run on two hits in an efficient four innings pitched in the first game, striking out five batters.

The Warriors took full advantage of the Cougars’ (2-4 overall) offensive struggles. Nathan Porter and Ryan Gomes each hit RBI singles to give Del Norte a 3-0 first-inning lead, and Gomes and Josh Barriga each hit RBI doubles as part of a five-run second inning.

The Warriors put three more runs up on the board in the third inning. Illinois Valley scored one run apiece in the fourth inning (off Calderon) and the fifth inning (off reliever Austin Healy), sending Del Norte back to bat in the fifth inning. The Warriors promptly loaded the bases for Chris Bray, whose RBI single plated Healy and ended the game.

Barriga finished the game 3-for-3, scoring two runs. Steven Maready went 2-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored. 

Del Norte County rewards those explorers willing to brave the elements for a glimpse of its natural beauty. Saturday’s Redwood Wild River Run bucked convention — runners and walkers alike enjoyed pleasant conditions in which to test themselves.

Participants traversed the 5-kilometer and 15-kilometer courses through Jedediah Smith State Park with sunshine filtering through the redwoods.

In all, 181 runners completed the 5K and another 102 completed the 15K. For complete event results, visit www.rwrr.org.

A list of age-group winners for both races, divided by gender, begins below.

*denotes overall winner

2013 Redwood Wild River Run 5K

MEN

9 & under

1. Carter Brown (8), Langlois, Ore., 25:27

2. Miguel Espinoza, Jr. (5), Crescent City, 30:05

3. Jack Carlson (8), McKinleyville, 31:50

10-14

1. Hunter Hutton, Bandon, Ore., 19:28

2. Victor De Los Santos , Crescent City, 20:46

3. Leif Amundsen, Talent, Ore., 20:59