Lady Outlaws fall in non-league openers

Sisters High School's first week of the 2010 softball season had a little bit of everything. What they did not have was much outdoor practice time. As a result, the locals lost their first two games, then had a doubleheader canceled due to unplayable field conditions.

The Lady Outlaws opened the season on March 15 with an 8-2 loss to 4A Madras. They followed that with a 14-2 loss to 5A Mountain View of Bend on March 17 in a game that was moved from Sisters to Bend due to an unplayable field.

Then on March 19, the Outlaws' doubleheader with 5A Bend was canceled as no playable fields could be found.

Against Madras, the Outlaws led 2-1 through the top of the fourth, but in the bottom of the fourth, Madras combined a couple of base hits with a pair of Outlaws miscues and scored five runs to break the game open.

According to assistant coach Dawn Cooper, Zoe Wavrin pitched well enough to win, but didn't get enough defensive support.

Sophomore Taylor Nieri was the top Outlaws hitter, with a double and a single.

Sisters followed their opener at Madras by losing to Mountain View, 14-2, in a game originally scheduled to be played March 17 at SHS, but was moved to Mt. View due to poor field conditions.

The 5A Cougars - playing as visitor on their own field as SHS was scheduled to be the hosting school - jumped out early with a pair of home runs and a 10-0 lead after two innings. By the time junior Katie DuMolt entered the game in the fourth, the winners had scored 14 times. DuMolt, making her varsity debut, pitched two shutout innings.

The game was called after five innings due to the 10-run mercy rule.

In all, Mt. View collected 16 base hits, while the Outlaws managed four, including doubles by senior McKenzie Cooper and Nieri.

Following the game, Coach Jim Milliman said, "time to regroup."

The Outlaws are off for the first week of Sisters' two-week spring break schedule, but are slated to open Sky-Em League play on March 29 at Elmira, then host Junction City in April.

Bend coach Wade Kincaid said he hoped the games with the Outlaws could be rescheduled. Bend was also washed out of a game earlier in the week.

Though weather has played havoc with the Lady Outlaws, they are the lone Sky-Em team to play two non-league games.

Though the Outlaws did not field enough players for a junior varsity team, the varsity features a solid group of returnees including seniors Amber Milliman, Cooper, Wavrin, Cassie Hernandez, M. J. Schulte, Jordan Richerson, Becca Pelham and Marisa Calavan, junior Carli Kreminski and sophomores Harley Rowe and Nieri. New to the varsity this season are junior Dumolt and sophomores Tiffini Milliman and Lauren Cantwell.