The No. 8 ranked The Dalles High Riverhawks (9-6 IMC, 16-9 overall) qualified for the OSAA Class 5AÂ softball state playoffs after winning an Intermountain Conference doubleheader 9-8 and 4-2 over their Gorge rival the No. 14 ranked Hood River Valley High Eagles (7-8 IMC, 11-15) Tuesday at Westside Elementary School in Hood River.
The Riverhawks overcame an 8-3 seventh inning deficit in Game 1 to get the come-from-behind win. The Dalles freshman Despina Seufalemua hit a game-winning sacrifice fly RBI to help propell the Hawks to the huge win. Keliani Crichton-Tunai, Ella Smith and Zoe LeBreton also drove in runs with key hits to contribute to the impressive Hawks game-winning rally.
The Dalles junior hurler Kennedy Abbas had 10 strikeouts and allowed eight hits in leading the Hawks to the Game 2 playoff clinching victory. Smith pitched in Game 1 and she had an outstanding performance too with with seven strikeouts and nine hits allowed. LeBreton hit a leadoff home run - her team leading seventh of the year - in Game 1 to help the Hawks take the early 3-0 lead. The Eagles scored a run in the second, they got six runs in the third and added a run in the sixth to build the 8-3 lead.
In Game 2, Seufalemua hit a two-run homer to help the Hawks build a 4-0 third inning advantage. HRV scored two in the seventh for the final margin.
The Dalles plays one final regular season nonleague contest Thursday at 4 p.m. in Beaverton against the Class 6A Mountainside Mavericks (17-7). The Hawks will play a first round playoff game May 25 against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.
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