The Sweet Home’s softball varsity team beat Woodburn 12-0 under the 10-run rule in its league opener on the road March 18, lost 2-1 to fourth-ranked Philomath at home March 20 and then beat Stayton 5-2 at home.
While they didn’t get the win, against Philomath, “we competed at another level this year,” said Coach Karyn Hartsook. The Huskies lost 8-4 to Philomath in the state playoffs last season.
Errors cost the Huskies in that game, but they played better than the last time the two teams met, Hartsook said. Philomath jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, scoring on two singles and two errors.
Her team didn’t go down in defeat at that point, Hartsoook said. The Huskies fought back and scored their own run in the bottom of the fifth, as Marissa Kurtz stole home after singling to bet on base.
Each team had three hits.
For Sweet Home, Gracie Zanona went 2-3, and Kurtz went 1-3.
Kaili Saathoff went 2-4 to lead Philomath.
Savannah Hutchins gave up three hits, two walks and no earned runs while striking out six for Sweet Home.
Kamden Combs gave up three runs, two walks and no earned runs while striking out 12 for Philomath.
Philomath 200 000 0 – 2 3 3
Sweet Home 000 010 0 – 1 3 4
Against Stayton, the Huskies took a 3-0 first-inning lead.
Reaching on an error, Sunhee Bitter advanced to second on a single by Ashtyn Walker. Kurtz hit a fly ball and reached on an error, scoring Bitter, and then Hutchins hit a line drive to right field to score Walker. Bailee Hartsook singled to shortstop to score Kurtz.
Neither side scored again until the fifth when Sweet Home went ahead 5-0. Stayton scored two runs in the sixth.
“They have some quality kids,” Hartsook said. “We were just able to jump on them early.”
The Huskies hit much more aggressively in that game, Hartsook said. They collected eight hits along the way, with two each from Walker, Allison Miner and Emily Brown.
Hutchins and Hartsook each had a hit, with RBIs by Hutchins, Hartsook, Miner and Brown. Miner hit a double.
Stayton had two hits, one each from Jade Beaumont and Sydney Maurer, who doubled.
In the circle, Hutchins gave up two hits, two walks and no earned runs while striking out six.
Starter Kelsie Walker gave up eight hits and two earned runs for Stayton, striking out two. Maurer struck out one pitching in relief.
Stayton 000 002 0 – 2 2 5
Sweet Home 300 020 x – 5 8 4
Overall this week, “losing Philomath was a heartbreaker,” Hartsook said.
“I do feel the kids will be able to turn that around next time.”
The fifth-ranked Huskies are 2-1 in league and 4-2 overall. They were scheduled to travel to Redmond for a tournament this week, playing Ridgeview Monday, Marist Tuesday and Crook County Tuesday.
Next week, the Huskies travel to Junction City on April 1, host Cascade at 4:30 p.m. on April 3 and visit Sisters on March 4.