Two wins keep Outlaws softball in playoff chase

A pair of very victories have kept the Sisters High School varsity softball team in the thick of the Sky-Em League playoff chase.

By winning the two league outings, the Outlaws are tied for second place with Junction City. Both teams entered the key May 6 game at Sisters High School with 7-3 league records. League play ends Thursday with the Outlaws hosting third-place Cottage Grove. Overall, the Outlaws are 12-9.

"Needless to say, a win Tuesday makes things a lot easier," said coach Tom Mauldin, who explained the Sky-Em League uses league standings and a playoff system to determine the three teams it sends to state.

The two teams that finish first and second in league automatically qualify for the state playoffs. However, the third-place finisher must play the winner of the fourth-versus-fifth-place finisher in league. The winner of that three-team scenario earns the Sky-Em League's No. 3 seed at state.

Thus, entering the final week of Sky-Em League play, the Lady Outlaws could finish second, third or fourth, depending on this week's action.

Last week's action (April 28 and May 1) put the Lady Outlaws in second place. They started the week with an 8-6, 9-inning win over Pleasant Hill. It was very different than their 20-2 win over the Billies from just three weeks ago.

"To say they were an improved team would be an understatement," said Mauldin. "They out-hit us (12-9) and nearly outplayed us."

With the Outlaws leading 6-4 and no runners on and two out in the bottom of the seventh, the Billies scored twice on two hits and a three-base error.

"We were one out away from putting the game away, but give them credit - they kept plugging," said Mauldin. "We didn't lose composure, we kept plugging also."

The Outlaws won it in the top of the ninth when JJ Ashley and Hillary Renz singled and PH couldn't handle a hard-hit ball by Camille Pedersen.

The host continued to make it interesting with two out in the bottom of the ninth, by singling, drawing a base on balls before Sam Stoneback ended the game by striking out the Billies' final batter.

Senior outfielder Brenna Mooney made a key catch to quell a PH rally.

It was a determined effort by Stoneback. The usual hard-throwing senior had to battle out of jam after jam, but went the distance for her eighth win of the season. Only two of the Billies' six runs were earned.

"She was a bit under the weather, but Sam is a gamer," said Mauldin. She struck out four and walked three.

Leading the Outlaws at the plate were Jenna Sneva, Ashley Huber and Pedersen with two hits each.

While the extra-inning affair with Pleasant Hill proved a nail biter, a 16-0 win over La Pine was just the opposite as 10 different Outlaws collected base hits in the five-inning game.

Led by Ashley Huber, who drove in four runs on two hits, Jenny Kaiser, Ashley, Cassie Hernandez and Mckenzie Cooper all had two hits as the Outlaws scored in every inning. The big rallies came in the third (six runs) and fourth (five runs). The big blow of the fourth was a solo out-of-the-park homerun by Pedersen.

Cassie Huber also singled for the Outlaws.

Renz went the distance for her fourth win of the season, scattering three hits. She struck out one, but walked none.