ZOE MUNN had a huge day at the plate for HRV in both games of Saturday’s doubleheader at Hermiston. The sophomore was the most productive on offense for HRV and had seven hits in nine at-bats, racking up two doubles, five singles and three RBI.
ZOE MUNN had a huge day at the plate for HRV in both games of Saturday’s doubleheader at Hermiston. The sophomore was the most productive on offense for HRV and had seven hits in nine at-bats, racking up two doubles, five singles and three RBI.
They may be in one of the toughest leagues in the state, but the HRV softball team continues to perform well in the Columbia River Conference despite the team’s fourth-place ranking, splitting games with the sixth-ranked Hermiston Bulldogs this weekend.
No. 13 HRV (9-9, 2-3 league) started the first game up 4-0 after three innings, but then saw the team’s lead vaporize after coughing up two runs in the fourth and seven runs in the sixth to give Hermiston (12-7, 3-2 league) the 9-4 lead, which proved to be the final margin.
Determined not to let another lead slip through their fingers, the Eagles shut out Hermiston 10-0, putting away the Bulldogs with a five-run seventh inning and the dominant pitching of Hannah McNerney. The sophomore only surrendered four hits in seven innings and struck out five batters.
In the first game, Janessa Castaneda got HRV off the ground with a double to center field that plated McNerney. In the top of the third, Zoe Munn hit a two-run double to center field, with Lauren Decker and Haylee Baker scoring for HRV.
From there on out, it was all Hermiston. The Bulldogs had a two-run homer in the top of the fourth and then scored on a single to pull within one. Though Hermiston had five errors compared to HRV’s two in the game, the Bulldogs did a better job of taking advantage of HRV’s defensive breakdowns, tying the game up after scoring on a wild pitch and then scoring the game-winning run on a play where the runner reached first base on an error in a two-out situation. Hermiston continued to ring up the runs by scoring off a single and then rubbed salt in the wound with a three-run homer for the final score of the game.
Decker pitched the entire game for HRV, giving up 11 hits and four earned runs while striking out four. Munn had the most productive day for the Eagles at the plate, going 3-for-4 (singles, double, two RBI).
After watching their lead slip away in the first game, the Eagles wasted no time hanging their heads and showed their mental toughness by dominating Hermiston in the one-sided slugfest that characterized the second game. HRV outhit the Bulldogs 14-4 and played a clean game, only committing one error while Hermiston committed six.
“The team came out strong after the first game and put a dominant effort together for the second game. It was a complete game offensively and defensively,” said HRV Head Coach Eric Keller. “During Game 1, we struggled with a couple of physical and mental errors that led to runs. In this league, they have to take games by executing every inning. We have shown that we can play with them; (now) it is learning how to win.”
Munn, who once again had the best game on offense for HRV (4-for-5, singles, double, RBI), started HRV off with a single to center field and then scored the game-winning run off a hit from Makena Zeller (3-for-4, singles, double, two RBI).
Other HRV players getting hits included Castaneda (2-for-4, singles, RBI), McNerney (2-for-4, single, double, RBI), Madé Vallejo (2-for-4, singles), and Haylee Baker (1-for-4, single, two RBI).
HRV was scheduled to host Hermiston Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. (results not available at press time) and then will be home again Saturday for a doubleheader against The Dalles (13-6, 2-3 league) that starts at noon.
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