Before the first pitch of HRV’s softball season, head coach Eric Keller said that this year’s team is “looking to make another run in the OSAA State Tournament.”
And through the first three games of the season, the girls are playing like they’re ready to make another state run.
The girls opened their season on the road with a 9-3 victory versus Barlow on March 14, and followed that performance with wins over Gresham at home and Wilsonville on the road to go 3-0.
Against Barlow, the Eagles took no time to score their first run of the season as Hannah McNerney singled on a pop fly to right field that brought Haylee Baker from second to home, putting the Eagles up 1-0 in the top of the first.
Then McNerney kept things rolling on the mound in the bottom of the first as she retired three of the four hitters she faced with strikeouts.
A scoreless second inning for both teams led to an exciting third.
McNerney started things off for HRV after getting hit by a pitch to advance to first.
In the following at bat, sophomore Makenzie Chambers doubled on a line drive to left field, advancing McNerney to third base.
With runners on third and second, senior Kaylin Winans cleared the bases with a line drive to right field, putting HRV up 3-0.
After a walk and fielder’s choice out, the Eagles had runners on first and second with one out.
A wild pitch from Barlow advanced HRV’s runners to third and second.
Grace Miller, a junior, doubled on a line drive to center field on a 2-2 count to bring in another two runs for the Eagles, putting the score at 5-0.
And the Eagles weren’t done just yet.
With two outs, Baker hit a ground ball in the infield that brought in Miller from third to put HRV up 6-0 heading into the bottom of the third.
Barlow would respond to the five runs scored by the Eagles in the top of the third with two runs off an error and a single, now putting the score at 6-2 HRV.
A scoreless three innings of softball followed that exciting third inning.
In the seventh, HRV closed the game out with their bats.
After singles by Lauren Decker and Baker at the top of the seventh, McNerney opened her at bat with runners on first and second, taking two balls.
On the third pitch of McNerney’s at bat, Baker stole second and on the play, an error was made on the connection between Barlow’s shortstop and catcher, advancing Decker home and Baker to third for a score of 7-2 HRV.
McNerney would eventually walk, putting runners on third and first for Chambers.
With one out, Chambers singled on a ground ball to left field that scored both Baker and McNerney, putting HRV up at 9-2.
Heading into the home half of the seventh, Barlow scored one run, but that would be all, and the Eagles would open their season with a 9-3 win on the road versus Barlow.
Game two of the Eagles’ opening week came at home versus Gresham.
Decker would get the start versus Gresham March 15 and would pitch a shutout to lead the Eagles to a 5-0 victory.
Decker only allowed six hits through seven innings and struck out five Gophers.
“It is nice to have a solid pitching staff that can shut down the opposing lineup and let the defense work,” said Keller.
HRV’s five runs came in the fourth and fifth innings, with three runs in the fourth and two in the fifth, off eight hits as a team.
Zoe Munn and Winans led the way for the Eagles offensively with multiple hits and RBIs.
The last game of back-to-back-to-back games for the Eagles was on the road in Wilsonville on March 16.
Wilsonville took a 7-6 lead heading into the fifth inning after a four-run inning in the bottom of the fourth.
A scoreless fifth for the Eagles meant time was running out, but in the top of sixth, HRV was able to get their bats going.
With Munn and McNerney on third and second, Chambers on a 2-2 count singled on a line drive to center field that brought home both Munn and McNerney, re-claiming the lead for the Eagles at 8-7.
In the next at bat for HRV, Winans drove Chambers home on a line drive to left field to make it 9-7 HRV.
After a walk for Emilie Ellifritz, Lizzie Weekly doubled to left field, bringing in pinch runner Emma Laney from second to score — 10-7 HRV.
With one out for the Eagles, Baker took the walk on a 4-1 count to load the bases.
Decker followed Baker’s walk with a 4-1 walk of her own, bringing in Ellifritz and propelling HRV to a 11-7 victory.
The 3-0 start for the Eagles is HRV’s best start since 2014, when the Eagles opened the season 4-0.
HRV played at home on Tuesday, March 20 versus Sandy (results unavailable at press time) before heading back on the road on Thursday, March 22 against Reynolds.
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