Ken Roberts
Sports Writer
For a moment, the Sweet Home softball team held a glimmer of hope after a strong 9-5 victory over Molalla that featured the return of Makenzie Marchbanks, a flawless game in the field, and a deluge of hits.
Coach Rob Younger was most satisfied by the total team effort to step up after not playing well in the past two weeks.
“You can go one of two ways when you’re not playing well,” said Younger. “They chose to rise to the challenge and meet it head on and compete.”
Unfortunately, the later news arrived that North Marion upset Stayton, which eliminated the Huskies from any chance at the playoffs. So now the team must just gain satisfaction from finishing strongly and making an impact on the program.
“The Molalla win was nice,” stated Younger. “But more importantly, it could have a long-lasting effect on our program and team.”
Stayton 10, SHHS 0
After playing tough against Stayton in their first two encounters, the Huskies disintegrated in the first inning, giving up seven earned runs with five hits, two of them triples.
The Huskies could only manage to hit three singles in the game. Only in the second inning did they come within a whisper of scoring.
The Huskies loaded the bases with hits by Dani Thireault and Ashley Horn followed by a walk to Mickenzie Draper. However, the next batter took a called third strike to end the threat.
Stayton finished the game in the bottom of the fifth inning after a walk and two more extra base hits.
SHHS 9, Molalla 5
After a long stretch of five games where they produced just one run, the Husky bats came alive with 12 hits, led by Nicki Aerni, who went 4-4, including a home run.
Molalla scored a run in the first, but the Huskies connected immediately in the bottom of the first as Ashley Wall doubled in Aerni to plate the first of two runs. That pattern was followed throughout the game. When Molalla tied the game in the third, Sweet Home picked up two runs in the bottom of the inning to recapture the lead.
A three-run fourth inning opened up breathing room for the Huskies. Aerni started that inning off with a home run and Sara Brocard, who had three singles, also contributed timely hitting. However, with a 7-2 lead, Molalla tried to make a run. With one out, the Indians cranked out two homers to draw close at 7-5.
Younger chose that time to bring in Mackenzie Marchbanks, who had been sitting out most of the league season with a slight break in her pitching forearm. For the final two and two-thirds inning, Molalla was shut down, managing just one walk and striking out four times.
The Huskies came right back in the bottom of the fifth to add on the final two runs. Not only were the bats alive, but Sweet Home made no errors in the field while Molalla committed eight.