Another rally for HRV softball team

After rallying to defeat La Salle, 9-6, on Monday, the Eagles torched the Redmond Panthers, 16-7, on Wednesday, to sit at .500 on the season through 14 games.

HRV got down early in the away game, giving up two runs in the first and four more in the second without being able to respond with any of their own.

That changed in the top of the third, when the Eagles erupted with a seven-run inning that was kicked off by a right-field fly-ball triple from Jessica DeHart that allowed Jessica Hardy to score. On the very next play, Zoe Munn did the same thing, sending a fly ball to right field and advancing to third base, which sent DeHart home. Hits from JoJo Karr, Jessie Karr, and Jenni Packer helped send more runners home that inning, with the cherry on top coming from Kaylin Winans, who smashed one to center field for a two-run homer that ended the scoring for HRV in the third. After down 6-0, HRV had a 7-6 lead.

The Eagles continued to pour it on in the fourth and fifth innings, scoring three runs and two runs, respectively, to double up on Redmond’s score, 12-6. The Panthers finally responded in the bottom of the fifth with what would be the team’s last run of the game to make it 12-7. HRV added another four runs in the top of the sixth, and Redmond was unable to respond in the bottom of the sixth.

Not every player on the HRV roster had a hit Wednesday afternoon, but every runner scored at least once. Leading HRV was Munn with three (three hits in four at bats, double, double, triple), followed by DeHart (2, 2 for 2, single, triple), Packer (2, 2 for 2, single, single), Jessica Hardy (2, 1 for 3, single), Wells (1, 2 for 4, single, double), Jessie Karr (1, 1 for 3, single), Breanna Weekly (1, 0 for 4), Hannah McNerney (1), Makena Zeller (1, 1 for 2, single), Winans (1, 1 for 4, HR), and JoJo Karr (1, 3 for 4, single, single, double), who also led the team with five RBI.

Wianans pitched the entirety of the game for HRV, giving up nine hits. Weekly led the team with 11 putouts in 13 chances.

The win over Redmond puts the team at a 7-7 record and an OSAA 5A ranking of 19, which puts HRV roughly in the middle of the pack. Halfway through the season and heading into league play, which starts this Saturday with a doubleheader in Pendleton, the Eagles are ranked behind The Dalles/Dufur (No. 7, 8-5 overall record), Pendleton (No. 9, 6-7), and ahead of Hermiston (No. 22, 6-6) in the Columbia River Conference.

After a bit of a lackluster start to the season, when the Eagles went 2-6, HRV has gotten back on track, winning five of their last six games.

“We are starting to figure out and thrive in our style of softball,” coach Eric Keller said. “They are playing defense to the best of their abilities and when they make plays, it helps boost our offense. It’s fun to watch them battle and enter league (play) on a streak of solid games.”

Keller added that HRV has been able to find success by working well together as a team, noting that “everyone has their role.” He did highlight, however, the performances of freshman pitchers Hannah McNerney and Kaylin Winans, whom he said “have become solid varsity pitchers.”

HRV will also look toward the team’s two heavy-hitting catchers — freshman Zoe Munn and senior Kelsey Wells — who lead the team in hits with 20 and 18, respectively, and batting average, with .400 each. Wells also leads the team in RBI (14) and Munn leads the team in runs scored (13), doubles (6), stolen bases (15), and extra base hits (7). The team will also rely on the power behind the bat of senior first baseman Breanna Weekly, who leads the team in homers (4) and slugging percentage (.793).

As for how HRV will match up against other teams in the conference, it’s hard to say, especially given the teams’ similar records.

“League (play) is going to be a challenge for all teams,” Keller said. “We have to go into each game ready to compete and play our best softball.”