Ken Roberts
Sports Writer
The Sweet Home bats were as hot as the weather last week. The Huskies used 13 hits to dismantle Sisters 10-0 in their first game. Unfortunately, the pitching and the fielding wilted under that same heat in their second game as they lost 9-8 to North Marion after leading by five runs going into the bottom half of the sixth inning.
“I haven’t seen us hit the ball so hard in a long time,” said coach Rob Younger about the Sisters game. “The girls are seeing the ball much better. We’re being aggressive, smart hitters with more discipline at the plate.”
With Makenzie Marchbanks still out with an injury, Ashley Wall and Michelle Cliver have had to take up the slack on the mound. Wall was solid for four innings in both games but began to tire in the later innings, which caused control problems. Cliver also struggled with control, butYounger had a harder time explaining the defensive collapse that went with the pitching.
“We played eleven good innings defensively this week,” said Younger, “but we ran out of gas and it kind of snowballed. I’m disappointed but far from being discouraged. We did so many good things this week.”
The Huskies, now 1-3 in league, face a tough Cascade team on Tuesday before starting through the second third of the schedule.
SHHS 10, Sisters 0
Wall pitched a five inning shutout in her first league start of the year. Not that she needed to because the Husky bats were smoking as well. In their best offensive performance of the year, Sweet Home stroked 13 hits, one of them a triple by Dani Thireault, to post their first league win.
Cliver raised her season batting average to .545 after going 4 for 4, scoring three runs and driving in another. Thireault, Wall, and Sarah Winslow also had two hits in the game. The Huskies scored three runs in each of the first two innings, making Sisters pay for some sloppy fielding in both innings. Their first eight runs were all scored after Sweet Home had two outs.
While Marchbanks continued to rest her arm due to a slight stress fracture, Wall delivered a solid performance against the Outlaws, allowing only two hits while striking out six and walking three. Wall benefited from some slick fielding that resulted in two double plays. Third baseman Mickenzie Draper doubled up a runner on first after catching a short pop up in front of her and then throwing on the run across the infield.
In Sisters’ fifth inning, the Outlaws opened by getting on base after the only Husky error.
The second hitter doubled into right center, which was scooped up by Susie Sieg and tossed in quickly. The runner at second continued to go to third though the other runner had come to a stop. Cliver tagged the returning runner and then cut down the runner at third who tried to advance home.
N. Marion 9, SHHS 8
Nicki Aerni opened the game with a base hit and scored after a stolen base and two pass balls.
After giving up a tying run in the bottom of the first, the Huskies kept adding to their lead, starting in the second inning when Sara Brocard tripled and came home on a sacrifice bunt by Draper, which led to a two run inning. Back to back doubles by Kendra Greene and Brocard powered them to another run in the fourth.
By the time the Huskies’ half of the sixth inning was over, they had an 8-3 lead. Starting pitcher Wall gave up two hits to the first Cascade batters and then gathered herself and cruised through the rest of the first four innings. She began to tire in the 5th, giving up four hits and two runs. Younger chose to stay with her because Cliver was experiencing some pain in her arm.
But after a hit, three walks, and a run, Cliver came in with the bases loaded and only one out. A fielding error, several pass balls, and two more walks allowed four more runs to come in. The rally was finally squelched on a double play where Aerni caught a liner and threw out the runner on third.
Now tied, the Huskies left Ashley Horn stranded on second base in their part of the seventh inning. North Marion put their first three runners on with an error and two walks before a sacrifice fly ended the game and ruined the 11 hit attack of the Huskies. Greene, Brocard, and Horn each had two hits for Sweet Home.