Sweet Home toppled Philomath finally, winning 4-3 at home April 29 and moving into position to nab the league championship in softball.
The Huskies beat Stayton 2-1 at home May 1, but then lost 9-4 to Cascade Monday night.
The Huskies, 13-2 and fifth in statewide rankings, are tied with Philomath, 13-3 and ranked eighth, heading into the final week of baseball. Both teams will face Newport one more time. Sweet Home has beaten Newport twice. Philomath has lost one of two games so far to Newport.
Philomath also faces a winless Woodburn while Sweet Home faces a 3-13 Sisters.
“We need to win out, and I need Newport to knock them (Philomath) off,” said Coach Karyn Hartsook. A tie in league standings will go to Philomath, which beat Sweet Home two out of three games this season.
At this point, Sweet Home has a lock on second and a chance at the league championship.
“Our goal is first,” Hartsook said.
Sweet Home plays at Sisters at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and at Newport at 4 p.m. Thursday, finishing the regular season.
Winning their first game this year against Philomath, “it was exciting to see the team come together and compete fiercely and not quit,” Hatsook said.
The Warriors opened the game, loading bases on a couple of singles and a walk, but they weren’t able to get anyone over the plate.
The Huskies had a couple of runners on base in the bottom of the inning but couldn’t score. Neither team could bring anyone home until the fifth inning when Hannah Williams singled and then scored on an error.
With one on base, Philomath singled twice to score another pair of runs and take a 3-0 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, with one out, Allison Miner doubled, followed by a single from Jasmine Carter. Graci Zanona singled on a hard ground ball to left field, scoring Miner and Carter.
Ashtyn Walker singled, advancing Zanona to second, and Marissa Kurtz shot a fly ball to left field to score Zanona and Walker and grab a 4-3 lead and the win.
At bat, Sunhee Bitter, Zanona, Walker, Kurtz, Miner and Carter each had one hit. Kurtz and Miner had doubles. Philomath collected six hits.
In the circle, Walker threw five innings, giving up three walks, six hits and no earned runs with two strikeouts. Savannah Hutchins pitched two innings in relief, giving up a walk and striking out three.
For Philomath, Kamden Combs gave up three walks, six hits and four earned runs while striking out three.
Philomath 000 030 0 – 3 6 1
Sweet Home 000 040 x – 4 6 1
Against 10th-ranked Stayton, both teams struggled to find a run until Stayton managed to scratch one out on an error in the top of the fourth inning.
Stayton’s Cedella Ritchie reached on a walk and advanced to second on a fielder’s choice. She scored on an error with Cassandra Hankins at bat to take 1-0 lead. Hankins was out advancing to second on a fielder’s choice, ending Stayton’s at bats.
The Huskies answered in the bottom of the sixth with Bitter singling. Walker sacrificed to move Bitter to third base. Hutchins singled a hard ground ball to the right to score Bitter and tie the game 1-1.
In the bottom of the eight, Zanona reached when she was hit by pitch. She stole second and then scored on a line drive double to center field by Walker to win the game 2-1.
Hutchins led at bat, going 2-3 with an RBI. Miner, Bitter, Walker and Maddie Harris each had one hit.
Stayton had one hit each from Sarah VanHyning and Ritchie.
Harris went fou innings, giving up one walk and two hits. Hutchins closed out the game, giving up one walk and striking out four.
Throwing for the Eagles, Sydney Maurer gave up no walks, six hits and two earned runs while striking out two.
Stayton 000 100 00 – 1 2 1
Sweet Home 000 001 01 – 2 6 2
The Cougars got ahead of the Huskies out of the gate and held on to win.
“They beat us,” Hartsook said. “They hit well, and defensively, they were solid. They’ve been going on a run.”
Cascade walked twice and singled to load bases and then scored twice on an error. Bailey Dysinger scored on a single by Abby Jeppsen to lead 3-0.
On two outs, Walker and Kurtz singled and then advanced on a fielder’s choice. Samantha Virtue singled into a fielder’s choice, scoring Walker but ending the inning, with the Huskies trailing 3-1.
Carter scored for the Huskies in the second on a single by Bitter to close the deficit to 3-2. Cascade scored another run in the top of the third, leading 4-2. Sweet Home picked up another run in the fourth inning, but Cascade scored two more in the fifth to lead 6-3. Dysinger hit a three-run home run in the top of the sixth to build a 9-3 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, Hutchins led off with a single. She scored on a passed ball.
Miner led the Huskies at bat, going 3-4. Kurtz and Bitter each had two hits. Kurtz had an RBI, and Bitter had an RBI and a run.
Hitting once were Zanona, Walker, Hutchins and Carter, each with one run. Virtue had one RBI.
Alexis Bales led Cascade at bat, going 3-3 with two runs.
In the circle, Hutchins went five innings, giving up four walks, six hits and one earned run while striking out seven Cougars. Walker pitched the final two innings, giving up one walk, six hits and four earned runs with two strikeouts.
For Cascade, Mackenzie Dysinger gave up three walks 11 hits and four earned runs, striking out two Huskies in six innings. Hannah Walliman threw the final inning, giving up a walk and one striking out one.
Cascade 301 023 0 – 9 12 2
Sweet Home 110 100 1 – 4 11 3