It has been less than two weeks since Mauch learned she'd be starting on the mound after senior hurler Lauren Grotpeter was sidelined with an injury. Apparently, that two weeks was ample time to prepare for her new leadership role. Mauch struck out seven batters, leading Warrenton to a 6-3 victory against the host-team of the Holt Tournament. The Warriors had not beaten Holt in recent years, making the triumph bittersweet. It also served as a confidence booster, giving Warrenton a 1-0 start to the 2008 campaign. "It's very exciting to have that relief that we won and started off the season on a good note," first-year Coach Andrea Hawkins said. "It definitely is exciting for us to come in as the underdog and kind of surprise some people here to begin the season." Claiming the win took some perseverance down the stretch, but sound run support took the heat off Mauch. Warrenton led 6-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh. Holt managed to load the bases with just one out, but Mauch held her poise. "Usually the last inning it really puts pressure on me, because I don't want them to get any runs back," Mauch said. "It's happened before - where teams have come back to win in the last inning, so I wanted to avoid that. But it made me feel better to have the comfortable lead." Warrenton struggled with Holt's speed between the bases during the first few innings. The Indians bunted on numerous occasions, making it to first base with lightning quickness. Lead-off hitter Chelsie Crain singled and was able to make it all the way home with her combo of speed and alertness. The Warriors took awhile to adjust but eventually shored up their fielding efforts. "They were comfortable enough with each to work all of the kinks out and get through it," Hawkins said. "That's all I ask, is that we don't give anything away. If they earn a run, hats off to them. But we don't ever want to give anything away." The Warriors answered Holt's first inning run in the third frame. Kerri Cunningham singled and then advanced to second on an overthrow. Kelsea Job made it to third base on the very same play. Both runners were batted in by Brooke Kassing moments later, giving Warrenton a 2-1 edge. The defense on both sides of the ball tightened up during the ensuing innings, until the Warriors went an on offensive frenzy in the sixth inning. Cunningham opened the inning with a triple, and Warrenton quickly loaded the bases. Mauch singled, bringing in two more runners. Lead-off hitter Michael Grotpeter closed out the inning by sending home Ashley Smith, the lone senior on the team. Hawkins said she could not have asked for a more productive sixth inning. The Warriors made it all the way through their batting lineup. "Kerri started us off with that triple, and that's about the best way you can begin an inning," Hawkins said. "You can't beat that. People were doing exactly what we asked of them, stepping up and being aggressive at the plate. This definitely showed we have a lot of capable hitters on the team." Warrenton entered the seventh inning needing to make a defensive stand, but began in rugged form. Holt placed three runners on base, scoring two of those on an errant throw. They did, however, have to earn most of their offense. Mauch walked just one batter during the entire contest. The left-handed hurler kept batters guessing for much of the contest. "Lindsay has good range and throws a variety of pitches, which messes with the batter's head and makes it difficult to anticipate," Hawkins said. "She's very consistent as well. Her and our catcher Becka Chapman have been working closely together, making calls that really throw the hitters off." Mauch begins her career on a 1-0 mark. More importantly, it gives her team a positive start to the 2008 campaign. It will be vital to carry that momentum throughout an extremely busy opening week. The Warriors continued play at the Holt Tournament with a doubleheader on Wednesday night and another game on Thursday. They return home on Friday to face Lutheran at 4:30 p.m.