It’s too late to make the playoffs, but Sweet Home’s softball squad was on fire in its last two games, beating Taft 19-0 at home and Philomath 13-3 on the road.
Sweet Home 13, Philomath 3
The Huskies opened the game at Philomath with six straight hits to score seven runs in the first inning. Four of the Huskies got singles after running up their counts to two strikes.
“We just kept hitting the ball,” Coach Steve Hummer said. “It was kind of one of those innings where everything fell together for us. People playing us are finding out we’re pretty darn good right now.”
One of those hits was a double from Hailee Huenergardt, who then scored when Ashley Cochran laid down a “great” bunt, Hummer said.
Earlier in the inning, Tiffanie Ciulla scored on a hit-and-run on a “perfect” shot by Paige Niemi through the gap created the Warriors shortstop who had drifted over to support at third base.
“We were hitting line drives €“ hard-hit balls,” Hummer said. “We played very well.”
Bailee Riggs took a no-hitter into the bottom of the fifth, when, with two outs, she gave up two hits. She finished with 10 strikeouts on the afternoon, facing 21 batters.
Megan Rubidoux led the Huskies, going 3 for 4 at the plate. Niemi was 2-4 and Emili Riggs 2-3.
All but one Sweet Home starter finished with an RBI, Hummer said.
SH 740 11 13 12 3
Philomath 100 02 3 2 4
Sweet Home 19, Taft 0
Every Husky in the starting lineup got a hit against the Tigers Thursday, May 7.
Sweet Home erupted for 10 runs in the third inning and another seven in the fourth.
Laura Gourley led the offensive output with four singles on four trips to the plate, while Bayli Riggs was 2-4 with a homerun and four RBIs, Hailee Huenergardt went 2-2, Shelbey Gillespie 2-3 and Tiffanie Ciulla was 2-4.
Riggs struck out five and had no walks in five innings of work.
“Actually, we’re playing very, very well right now,” Coach Steve Hummer said. “Unfortunately, it’s too late to make the playoffs, but I honestly believe we’re one of the best teams not to make the playoffs.”
The close loss to Newport the week before left the Huskies with “a bitter taste in our mouths,” Hummer said.
“We didn’t take care of business when we should have taken care of business,” he said. “Now we have to live with that.”
The Huskies have one more game, a make-up game against Central on Wednesday after the Panthers were unable to play last week because of swine flu concerns that prompted Central administrators to cancel all sports events in which the school was involved.
If Sweet Home wins, Newport becomes league champion.
“We could get a little pride from taking two of three from them and costing them the league title,” Hummer said.
The Huskies lose only three seniors €“ Ciulla, Gourley and Paige Niemi, and expect to return nine players who were now freshmen and sophomores.
Hummer said he already has 15 girls who plan to play a 30-game summer ball schedule.
“We’re going to be a very good team next year,” he said. “We’ll be back with obviously a goal that’s more than just going to the playoffs.”
Taft 00 0 00 0 3 3
SH 02 10 7x 19 16 0
To view more photos from this spring’s softball season, go to the “Photo Gallery” button on the bar above, click on “View Photo Galleries,” select the “Sports Photos” gallery and click on “Softball.”