The Dalles High School Riverhawks Softball squad showed just what happens when they get mad enough.
After taking a beating in Hood River Valley on Tuesday, the ladies of the diamond came out with a vengeance against their CRC rival Hermiston Bulldogs and swept the season series with a 10-0 win in 5 innings.
The game, played at Rocky Heights Elementary field, was a foregone conclusion from the first inning.
Riverhawk leadoff hitter Hannah Harris singled sharply through the middle on the second pitch of the game to set the tone.
Two pitches later Ruthie Ford doubled to the left centerfield gap to plate Harris and make it a 1-0 game after four pitches.
Hermiston starter, Maddie Ledbetter, wriggled off the hook after Morgan Goslin walked and Maddy Bradford reached on a fielder’s choice forcing Goslin at second with Ford advancing to third.
Grace Helyer popped to third and Lori Cimmiyotti grounded to short to end the threat with just the one run lead.
In the second, the fireworks started all over again.
This time it was the bottom third of the lineup that ignited the fuse.
Jodi Thomasian singled to start the inning. Sierra Watson followed with a soft liner to left that dropped for a single as well.
She was followed by Kailin Hoylman, who chopped a ball toward short and beat the throw to first for an infield single to load the bases with no one out.
Harris then drew a walk on a 3-1 pitch to force Thomasian across and make it 2-0 Riverhawks. Ford singled past the lunging second baseman to score Watson and coach Steve Garrett held Hoylman at third.
Goslin then lined to the second baseman for the first out. An errant throw to catch Ford diving back to first allowed Hoylman to walk home with the fourth TD tally of the game.
That set the stage for Bradford with runners on the corners.
She connected a 1-0 pitch for her fourth home run of the season (third in CRC play) to run the total to 7-0, Riverhawks.
Continuing with their every inning scoring threat, the Hawks started the third with a four-pitch walk to Thomasian.
Watson singled through the hole at short before Hoylman chipped in her second infield hit to load the bases.
Harris hit a one-hopper to third and the throw forced Thomasian at the plate for the first out.
The Hermiston catcher attempted to catch Watson rounding third, but the throw hit Watson and caromed away.
The Riverhawk sophomore sprinted for the plate, but was thrown out at home for out number two.
Meanwhile, Hoylman motored into third and Harris made it to second on the play.
Ford promptly singled to plate Hoylman and make it an 8-0 score.
On the night, Ford would go 3 for 4 with three RBIs. Bradford was 2 for 4 with the three-run homer.
Watson was 3 for 3 with three singles and two RBIs.
Watson matched that contribution from the circle as she pitched the entire five innings allowing just one hit, a two out single in the second.
In her 57-pitch performance, she walked one and hit one batter, but none of them advanced past first base.
Her defense played flawlessly behind her recording nine groundball outs and six flyouts.
The win, in addition to righting their ship from last week’s loss to Hood River Valley, secured the Hawks with a second place finish in the CRC.
Their 6-4 conference record is second only to Pendleton’s 9-0 mark.
That second-place finish assures the locals of a home berth in the first round of the OSAA playoffs beginning later this month.
The Hawks pounded out a total of 13 hits in the game with seven of nine hitters joining the fray.
Thomasian and Hoylman both ended the night 2 for 3 with two singles apiece.
Next action for the Riverhawks will be Tuesday when they host the conference leading Pendleton Lady Bucks at 16th Street Ballpark in a 4:30 p.m. tilt.
Coach Garrett is looking for good things that day.
“We went into Hood River a little cocky on Tuesday, having dumped them twice on our field over the weekend,” the Riverhawk coach said. “That cost us big time, but the loss to the Eagles was a slap in the face for these kids and they responded with fire in their eyes today. They wanted this one, knowing the implications of the win.”
Garrett said that with Pendleton’s 10-1 win over HRV on Friday, TD iced second place in the conference and now they can go all-out Tuesday at home.
Bradford is expected to get the nod in the circle.
“We know she can handle the Bucks if we play as well as we did today on defense,” Garrett said. “We are looking forward to the challenge.”
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