Riverhawk junior Morgan Donivan gets ready to swing at a pitch May 27 in The Dalles. Donivan was named Tri Valley Conference player of the year for 2026.
Riverhawk junior Morgan Donivan gets ready to swing at a pitch May 27 in The Dalles. Donivan was named Tri Valley Conference player of the year for 2026.
THE DALLES — The Dalles/Dufur High School played two games in the 16-team OSAA Class 4A state softball playoffs, taking down Hidden Valley High School, 10-0, on May 27 at the 16th Street Ballpark in The Dalles and losing 4-3 to Gladstone High School at home on May 29 in round two.
The Riverhawks (25-4), led by head coach Duane Witter, started hot from the plate and never let up, finishing with five home runs as a team against the Mustangs (13-12).
“I chalk it all up on my coaching staff,” said Witter. “I’ve got a great coaching staff. We have great players. It’s really about the time that everybody puts in that makes a difference. We were playing against a tough team. They kept us off balance there with their pitching and the great thing is that we were disciplined at the plate. It made the difference.”
The Riverhawks struck first in the top of the second behind a solo home run to left field from senior Maddy Sagapolutele in the bottom of the first. Then, senior Hailey Johnston popped up an RBI sac fly, sending home a run to make it 2-0 Riverhawks in the bottom of the second.
In the bottom of the third, junior Morgan Donivan hit a solo shot to center field to push the lead to 3-0, followed by a three-run home run from senior Siyra Faulkner to center to extend the lead to 6-0 Riverhawks.
Senior Ava Graves hit a solo shot to left field to open up the bottom of four and then Donivan hit her second home run of the night, to make it 8-0 Riverhawks. The Dalles scored their final two runs at the bottom of five to enact the mercy rule (team leads by ten or more runs by the fifth inning).
The Riverhawks then faced the Gladiators (16-10) of Gladstone at home in a quarterfinal state playoff matchup. Gladstone got on the board first, scoring two runs in the top of the fourth inning to make it 2-0 Gladiators.
Gladstone added another run in ther top of the fifth inning, but the Riverhawks responded with two runs in the bottom of the fith inning, off of a Graves triple, scoring one and a Donivan single, scoring another to make it 3-2 Gladiators.
The Gladiators added their fourth and final run of the day in the top of the sixth inning. The Dalles was unable to respond until the bottom of the seventh inning when Graves hit a double, scoring one to cut the lead to 4-3 Gladiators, but it wasn’t enough for the Riverhawks as Gladstone closed the door.
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