Sweet Home overcame a mid-game McLoughlin lead to win their first round of state playoffs 7-5 on the road May 23 but fell 8-4 Friday at Philomath in the second round of state playoffs.
Fourth-ranked Philomath was scheduled to face La Grande in the semifinals. On other side of the bracket, South Umpqua eliminated Sky-Em’s Junction City 2-1 to face Henley in the semifinals. The championship game will be held June 2 at Oregon State University in Corvallis.
In both playoff games, Sweet Home fought back from a deficit, winning one and then losing the next.
“This team that I have this year, they just don’t quit,” said Coach Karyn Hartsook. “These kids are fighters.”
They’ve come back a few times this year as a result, she said, but they couldn’t quite do it at Philomath.
The key to their success, reaching the quarterfinals for the first time in many years, Hartsook said, is “the girls bought into what we’re trying to do, to take Sweet Home softball to the next level.”
They have an exceptional work ethic on the field and in the classroom, she said. They’re determined and dedicated.
“They’re great representatives of the community of Sweet Home,” she said. “You never want it to end this way, but to see the girls go this far, it’s been a long time.”
Philomath 8, Sweet Home 4
Friday was windy in Philomath.
“For some reason, it seemed to be to their advantage,” Hartsook said. “They were able to capitalize on it.”
The Warriors were able to send the ball over the fence three times.
The Huskies opened the game with a quick 1-0 lead. On two outs Ally Tow doubled to score Graci Zanona who grounded into a fielder’s choice at shorstop to reach first base.
Philomath took a decisive 4-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning after grounding out then loading bases on an error and two singles. Carrie Lillis homered on a fly ball to right field to score four runs.
In the bottom of the second Hannah Williams hit a homer on a line drive to center field, batting in Mikailaa Saathoff, who had walked, and building a 6-1 lead.
Philomath went three up, three down after that. Sydney Mauer reached base on a single in the third inning, and Williams doubled in the bottom of the fourth, but neither side could get anything else going.
The Huskies reached base three times in the top of five on a walk, single and error but weren’t able to score, while Rieley Reichhuber doubled and scored on a passed ball for Philomath in the bottom of the inning.
Sweet Home started putting numbers on the board in the top of the sixth. Tow singled and then scored on a double by Ashtyn Walker. Bailee Hartsook reached n an error at first base, while Walker advanced to third base.
Allison Miner singled, scoring Walker and advancing Hartsook to second base. Mauer singled on a line drive to left field to score Hartsook and get within 7-4. Miner was caught stealing third, sending Philomath to the plate to score once more time on a home run by Saathoff.
At bat, Mauer went 2-2 with an RBI. Tow went 2-4 with a double, an RBI and a run.
Collecting one hit each were Sunhee Bitter, Savannah Hutchins, Walker, Hartsook and Miner.
Graci Zanona had no hits but scored one run. Walker had a double, one run and one RBI. Hartsook had one run. Miner had one RBI.
Williams and Reichhuber led at bat for Philomath with two hits each.
Pitching, Hutchins gave up two walks, seven hits and eight runs, six earned, while striking out seven.
For Philomath, Camden Combs gave up a walk, nine hits and four runs, three earned, striking out three.
Sweet Home 100 003 0 – 4 9 1
Philomath 420 010 x – 7 6 2
Sweet Home 7, McLoughlin 5
The Huskies faced a long trip and a lot more heat than they’re used to against McLoughlin, Hartsook said. This time of year, “our kids aren’t used to that (heat).”
They stayed and practiced in The Dalles the previous day, and then they went out and won their first playoff game in many years.
“It was an amazing win,” Hartsook said. “That’s probably one of my most favorite experiences in Sweet Home High School softball. They did good. They did really amazing to pull out a win at Mac-Hi.”
In the first two innings, Sweet Home gave up a walk and two singles, but no one could get anywhere until the third inning when Hartsook sparked the bats hitting a double on a line drive to right field.
McLoughlin walked Miner and then struck out Torree Hawken, advancing Hartsook to third on a passed ball. Zanona hit a line drive to right field to score Hartsook and advance Miner to third. Bitter shot a line drive double to left field to score Miner. Zanona advanced to third base.
Zanona and Bitter scored on an error to go ahead 4-0.
The Huskies gave up a pair of walks and a double, allowing Ashlyn Marly to score a run. McLoughlin scored two more runs advancing runners on a ground out and a fly out, narrowing the Huskies’ lead to 4-3.
McLoughlin scored two more runs on a second-base error in the bottom of four to go ahead 5-4.
In the top of five, Hutchins walked, and Tow singled to score courtesy runner Jasmine Carter. Marissa Kurtz hit a line drive to right field, scoring Tow on the throw to retake the lead 6-5.
Bitter scored the Huskkies final run after reaching on an error then tagging up on a fly out by Tow in the final inning.
Kurtz and Hartsook led the Huskies at bat, going 2-3, Kurtz with an RBI and Hartsook with a run.
Also hitting were Zanona with a run and an RBI, Bitter with two runs and an RBI and Tow with a run and two RBIs.
Miner and Carter each scored a run. Hartsook and Bitter each hit a double.
McKenna Stallings led at bat for McLoughlin, going 2-2 with a run. Marly had a double.
Throwing, Hutchins gave up three walks, six hits and five runs, three earned, striking out two.
For McLoughlin, starting pitcher Stallings went four innings, giving up a walk, five hits and four runs, two earned, striking out two. In relief, Sydney Earls, gave up two walks, two hits and three runs, two earned.
Sweet Home 004 020 1 – 7 7 3
McLoughlin 003 200 0 – 5 6 2