By Quint Turner/For Lynnwood Today

The Meadowdale High School softball team won its fourth straight game with an 11-1 routing of the Shorewood Thunderbirds.

Hailey Costello hit a grand slam in the bottom of the second to put the Mavs up 8-0 and Julia Reuble pitched three scoreless innings to earn the win.

T-Bird pitcher Holly Ebel scored Shorewood’s only run of the game when Shelby Wade was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Meadowdale’s Kaylee Williams ended the game in the bottom of the sixth with a two-out triple that scored Samantha Gregoryk, making it 11-1. Ebel pitched all five and two-thirds innings for Shorewood in a losing effort.

The T-Birds went down in order in the top of the first. Tiffany DeWayne led off the bottom of the first with a bunt single and advanced to second when Ciarra Hart was hit by a pitch. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch to put runners on second and third for Reuble. She knocked in both with a two-run double that stayed just inside the left field line, putting the Mavs up 2-0. Ashley Brooke flew out to center field for the first out, but Costello drove in Reuble with a single up the middle.

Williams popped out to short for the second out. While Madison Buchea was up, Costello stole second and then Buchea drove Costello home with an RBI single. Jaclyn Spani slapped a single and both she and Buchea stole bases to set up runners at second and third with two outs for Lauren Lundberg, but she popped out to Ebony Harrison to end the inning. The Lady Mavs led 4-0 at the end of the first.

Shorewood got its first baserunner of the game in the top of the second when Jesi Stuuck earned a one-out walk, but Reuble struck Ebel out looking and Anna Kate Rattray swinging. Hart got on base in the bottom of the second with a one-out single and then Reuble and Brooke walked to load the bases. Costello came up and smashed a grand slam that floated just underneath the scoreboard. The four-run home run gave the Mavs an 8-0 lead. Ebel recovered and got Williams and Buchea to ground out to end the inning.

Reuble’s no-hitter was broken up when Harrison slapped a two-out line drive to center field that got under the diving glove of DeWayne and went for a double. Harrison was caught stealing by Buchea to end the top of the third. The Mavs tacked on another run in the bottom half of the inning. Lundberg slapped a single with one out and was driven in a batter later on a double by Hart; that run made it 9-0. Reuble flew out to end the inning. In the top of the fourth, Williams came in to pitch in relief of Reuble and retired the T-Birds 1-2-3. Kaitlyn Webster replaced Hart, Gregoryk replaced Costello, and Emma Helm replaced Brooke to go along with the pitching change. In the bottom of the fourth, Ebel sent the Mavs down in order as well.

The Thunderbirds earned their only run of the game in the top of the fifth. Stuuck started off the inning with a walk, but was thrown out on a ground ball hit by Ebel. Ebel made it to first on the fielder’s choice and then advanced to third after Williams walked both Rattray and Annika de Langen. That loaded the bases for Shelby Wade and she was hit by a pitch. That brought home Ebel. Harrison grounded into a 1-2 fielder’s choice and Olivia Hollenbeck struck out before the Thunderbirds could do any more damage. The Mavs could not do anything with a lead-off single by Buchea in the bottom of the fifth, and the score was 9-1 going into the top of the sixth.

Gregoryk relieved Williams at the mound for the sixth. Alison Feise led off the inning with a walk and made it to second after Stuuck hit into a fielder’s choice. Ebel was hit by a pitch with two outs to put runners on first and second, but Carli Herman struck out to end the inning. The Mavs ended the game in the bottom of the sixth. Helm smashed a towering solo shot to right field with two outs to make it 10-1. Gregoryk followed the blast with a long fly ball to centerfield that didn’t clear the fence but went for a double. Williams brought Gregoryk home for the clinching run with a single up the middle and the Lady Mavs won 11-1.

The win gives Meadowdale a 4-0 conference record (6-2 overall). The team plays again Wednesday away vs. Sedro-Wooley at 4:30 p.m. With the loss, Shorewood falls to 1-3 and 3-8 and plays on Thursday at home vs. Mountlake Terrace at 6 p.m.