WARSAW – The scoreboard showed another loss for the Warsaw softball team Saturday afternoon. But there were plenty of signs the winless Tigers have life. A 10-7 setback to Columbia City in the home opener was full of glimpses of a breakout.

In scoring more runs Saturday than it had in its first four games combined, Warsaw swung the sticks very well against a traditionally strong Columbia City pitching staff. The Tigers had eight hits and showed a deficit wasn’t going to slow down the effort, with Warsaw scoring four in the final inning already down seven runs.

At 0-5 overall, Warsaw head coach Kevin Dishman was really only about positives Saturday afternoon.

“This is an extremely fun group to be with,” Dishman said, noting his team traveled close to 400 miles for its first four road games of the season. “We want to improve every time out, and we have done that in the first four games. Today, being at home for the first time, we did look a little tight. I don’t know why, but it took us a little while to loosen up.”

Taylor Sleeth had three hits to lead Warsaw, her double in the fourth bringing home a run. Grace Johnson added two hits, and should have had three if not for a tremendous diving play in left by Alexis Waldeck in the seventh, robbing an absolute missile by Johnson that was heading for the corner.

Lauren Shaffner had a two-run double in the seventh and Saylor Bradley added a two-run single for the Tigers.

Columbia City did its fair share of smacking the ball around. A 17-hit attack by the Eagles had Ciarra Ivy and Morgan Bales each go 4-for-5, Ivy scoring four runs and Bales three runs.

City broke open the game in the fourth, with an RBI from Waldeck, then back-to-back singles from Bales and Laurisa Rehrer pushing the Eagles lead to 6-1. Three runs in the seventh proved very important for City as well. Loading the bases, Shania Turner drove in a run with a single, followed by a two-run poke by Anna Weigold.

City scored two runs in the second on a wild pitch in one of the more bizarre plays you’ll see. With a full count and two outs, Waldeck’s swing on a pitch in the dirt had the ball scoot past a crossed up Johnson, with both Brittany Kinney and a hustling Ivy coming home as Johnson’s throw to first wasn’t in time to get Waldeck.

Courtney Chookie took the loss for Warsaw, working all seven innings. Weigold got the win for City, pitching six innings of relief, striking out nine and giving up just two earned runs.

Warsaw moves to Northern Lakes Conference play Monday at defending champion Wawasee, yet another huge challenge for Dishman’s group.

“We’re ready for Wawasee,” Dishman said. “We’re not afraid to fail. We are always ready to learn on the field, and together we can do this as a group. One person can’t win it alone, and that’s where I feel this team will succeed.”

The Warsaw JV picked up a big win, downing Columbia City 13-3 in a run-rule game.