Ken Roberts
Sports Writer
The Sweet Home softball team only managed to score one run in their four game week. After losing two close games earlier in the week, the Huskies lost momentum and their record fell to 2-8 in league play with just five games remaining.
While the Huskies are hitting the ball reasonably well, they are having difficulty stringing their hits together. Plus opposing teams are playing steadily in the field, something with which Sweet Home has struggled to do consistently. They have been the victim of letting a mistake turn into a big inning in nearly every loss.
“We can’t keep giving away runs,” said Coach Rob Younger. “If we tighten up in the field, we aren’t that far away from being a good softball team.”
Over half the runs allowed by the Huskies this year have been unearned.
Stayton 2, SHHS 0
The Huskies and Eagles engaged in a pitcher’s duel for five innings as Ashley Wall limited Stayton to just one hit over that time. That single hit came in the second inning when the Eagles loaded the bases using the only two walks Wall issued in the game as well. But she came back to strike out the final hitter and then went on to mow down the next nine Eagles.
However, Stayton’s defense and pitching kept the Huskies from mounting any real threat, allowing only one runner to reach second base over the first six innings. It was the sixth inning that became Sweet Home’s downfall. After an opening single and one out, the Huskies committed their only error, which was followed by two more hits and a hit batter. With just one out and the bases loaded, it could have been worse, Wall and the defense rallied to close out the inning.
With one out in the seventh, Michelle Cliver doubled down the third base line, only the fourth Husky hit. Kendra Greene and Sara Brocard made good contact, but the Stayton outfielders were able to track them down.
North Marion 4, SHHS 1
After a shaky start in the first inning with an error, two pass balls, a wild pitch, and a walk over the first two hitters, Sweet Home settled down and held North Marion to just one run.
The Huskies had trouble getting the timely hit early in the game, but finally put things together in the bottom of the fifth. Mickenzie Draper opened with a walk, Nicki Aerni singled, and Wall drove in Draper with another single to tie the game.
But once again, a big sixth inning cost the Huskies the game. With an opening error on a grounder, Wall struck out the next batter, but then the North bats came alive as they connected with three consecutive hits which would produce three more runs. It could have been worse, but the Huskies made a good play on the fourth hit of the inning on a relay from Dani Thireault to Draper to Sarah Winslow at home.
In the bottom half of the sixth, Sweet Home threatened after Brocard was hit by a pitch and Thireault singled with none out. North’s infield, however, fielded two grounders and the centerfielder caught a smash by Draper to stem the tide. The Huskies went 1-2-3 in the seventh.
Molalla 13, SHHS 0
The Huskies had one of those nightmarish days on the diamond: shaky fielding and wild pitches leading to unearned runs topped off by a cold day at the plate. After the first two innings, Sweet Home found itself in a big 7-0 hole. After initially being unable to get around on the Molalla pitcher, they began to make contact but couldn’t find any opening in the staunch defense of the Indians, who committed no errors to the Huskies’ eight. The Huskies were held to just three hits for the game.
Cascade , SHHS 0
The Huskies ended a long week of frustration with a 9-0 loss to league-leading Cascade. Two throwing errors led to six unearned runs in the second inning. Sweet Home spread out their hits over the game and only posed a threat in the seventh inning when they loaded the bases after consecutive hits by Jenna Anderson and Draper with a walk to Wall added in after two outs. But they couldn’t produce the key hit and the game ended with a grounder to short.