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Steamboat Springs — Despite the drudgery of a 13-hour Tuesday round trip that the Sailors softball team took to play Palisade in a pair of rainy games, Steamboat coach Donna Ryan was pleased with her team's improvement.

"We played really well and showed good signs of hitting against their faster pitcher, really getting aggressive at the plate," Ryan said.

Ryan said Steamboat was able to keep the first game fairly close for the first four innings, highlighted by freshman Sara Hill's first base hit, a single that scored two runs before Palisade pulled ahead for a, 12-2, win.

In game two, the Sailors' bats came alive. With the bases loaded, Darcy Hornstein hit in two runs, followed by a run walked in during the top of the third inning to tie the game at three.

In the bottom of the third, the Sailors turned on their defense with pitcher Leigh Thielen, who pitched both games.

"Leigh mixed up her fast ball and change-up, struck out two and flew a ball out to Catie Winter," Ryan said.

After the impressive defensive stand, Palisade broke the game open with a series of runs that lead to a 13-3 Palisade victory.

Playing without their full starting roster, Ryan noted the exceptional defensive play of Thielen and Priska Sorensen, throwing runners out at first by connecting with Melissa Walsh, Terica Arroyo and Catie Winter, who made some nice catches in the outfield.

Steamboat plays next in a tournament Saturday in Rifle where they will face Rifle, Eagle Valley and Aspen.

Hayden volleyball bites Rattlers in comeback

Down two games and behind 24-21 in game three of their Tuesday match against Little Snake River (Baggs, Wyo.), Hayden volleyball coach Stephanie Davis said her team was practically "headed to the bus," before sparking a comeback behind a pair of key kills from middle blocker Holli Salazar. With the momentum of the hard-fought 28-26 win, the Tigers went on to win the next two games, taking the match 23-25, 28-30, 28-26, 26-24, 15-11.

Coming from a big league win Friday against Plateau Valley, Davis thought her team came out lacking intensity, missing serves against a Rattlers squad she described as a scrappy team with a hard-nose defense.

Davis noted the performances of a couple players who stepped up to get the Tigers passing game going, specifically that of outside hitter Kylee Sweetser and libero Jacquelyn Denker, who complimented Salazar's play at the net.

"It was a good character-building win," Davis said about her team's first come-from-behind victory of the year. "We were down again in that fourth game and we learned something about ourselves."

Hayden (7-4 overall, 2-2 in league) heads to Soroco on Friday night for a regional rival match-up that begins at 4 p.m.