Ally Tow ripped a shot over the fence Thursday afternoon to spark a 9-3 victory at home against Hidden Valley in the play-in round of Huskies softball.
Sweet Home will face McLoughlin High School in Milton-Freewater at 4 p.m. Wednesday in the first round of state playoffs.
Thursday, Brayanna Norberg of Hidden Valley, fourth seed in the Skyline Conference, led off with a single on a hard ground ball to right field. She advanced on a sacrifice bunt, scored on the throw when Naleah Stone sent a line drive to right field, giving Hidden Valley a 1-0 lead. The next two batters grounded out.
After Sunhee Bitter reached base on a walk. She stole second and then advanced when Graci Zanona grounded out to shortstop. Ashtyn Walker struck out swinging, and then Tow hit the ball over the left field fence, giving the Huskies a 2-1 lead.
That definitely swung the momentum in Sweet Home’s favor, said Coach Karyn Hartsook. “It gave our pitcher some breathing room.”
Tow was caught out at the fence on her second at bat, and then Hidden Valley intentionally walked her on her third at bat.
“She’s a great base runner,” Hartsook said. “So it’s fine with me.”
Neither team scored in the second inning, but the Huskies began extending their lead, scoring one in the third and four innings.
With bases loaded in the top of the fourth, the Huskies allowed a run but turned a double play two catch two runners. Tow fielded the ball in center field, throwing to Zanona at the plate and then Allison Miner at third base.
Hidden Valley scored one more run in the fifth inning.
Leading 4-3 heading into the bottom of the fifth, the Huskies scored four more runs, breaking away with an 8-3 lead. They scored once more in the sixth inning.
“Definitely, I felt like we were very strong,” Hartsook said. “Things are starting to come together. We should be peaking at this time, and we are.”
The bats are strong, she said, with her team collecting eight hits.
Zanona and Baylee Hartsook each had two hits and a double, Zanona with three runs and Hartsook with two RBIs. Tow had three RBIs.
Walker, Tow, Savannah Hutchins and Marissa Kurtz each had one hit.
Zanona had three runs; Tow, two; Kurtz, two; Bitter one; and Jasmine Carter, one.
Norberg led for Hidden Valley going 3-4 with two runs.
Savannah Hutchins threw a complete game, giving up one walk, six hits and three runs, one earned, striking out five.
Faith Perez pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up two walks, seven hits and nine runs, five earned, with one strikeout. Hannah Hayes pitched the final out for Hidden Valley, giving up a walk and a hit.
The Huskies are preparing this week for McLoughlin, which was 8-4 in the Greater Oregon League, 16-10 overall and fifth in statewide rankings. By comparison, Sweet Home was 10-5 in the Sky-Em League, 18-8 overall and ranked 12th in the state.
“They’re solid,” Hartsook said of McLoughlin. They will be very competitive for us.”
Hartsook is using scouting reports to prepare for the game, she said. “We’ll work on continuing to get quality base hits and quality at bats.”
The Huskies are preparing to face either of McLoughlin’s pitchers, Hartsook said.
It sounds like McLoughlin has six quality hitters, Hartsook said. To beat them, she expects her pitchers to “be very strong with location and pitches we are throwing to these hitters.
To be prepared for the playoffs, “my girls work hard, and they’ve done the off-season work,” Hartsook said. “All of them have prepared themselves – and my pitchers had been throwing all winter. I’m excited for the girls. I’m excited for the program. I’m excited for the community. I can’t wait to go represent them the best we can.”
Around the Sky-Em League, fourth seed Sutherlin lost a play-in game to Baker 13-3. Second seed Elmira beat Astoria 8-4 in a play-in game and will play Gladstone Wednesday. First seed Junction City automatically won a playoff berth and will face Baker.
Hidden Valley 100 110 0 – 3 6 6
Sweet Home 201 141 x – 9 8 2