Lady Outlaws win three on diamond

The second week of Sky-Em League softball action was good for the Sisters High School softball team. The Outlaws won three games and found themselves tied for the league lead.

In defeating Junction City 3-2, Cottage Grove 7-1, and La Pine 18-1, the Outlaws improved to 5-1 in league play to match Elmira's won-loss record.

Senior pitcher Cassidy Edwards received credit for all three pitching decisions and started the week by scattering five hits against in the win Junction City (3-3 in Sky-Em and 7-9 overall).

Edwards also had three of SHS's base hits and scored all three runs. Senior Taylor Nieri drove in the winning run in the seventh with a sacrifice fly.

"Cassidy made that play. Her aggressive base-running put her in position to score," said Outlaw Head Coach Ben Miller. "She (Edwards) got to third with a triple where most girls would have only reached second."

Senior Harley Rowe drove in the other runs with base hits in the first and third inning.

"And Cassidy (Edwards) was great on both offense and defense," said Miller.

Miller also praised the defense of Emily Hartford and Madison Edwards.

Cassidy Edwards also pitched a one-hitter against Cottage Grove (1-5, 2-11) with 14 strikeouts and shared pitching duties with Rowe in a one-hitter over La Pine (0-6, 2-11).

In the wins over Cottage Grove and La Pine, the Outlaws collected just five hits in each game, but took advantage of 14 La Pine walks and five errors to make it a run-rule, five-inning game.

Cassidy Edwards and Rowe allowed just one hit and struck out eight against La Pine.

Edwards also drove in five runs and had a pair of hits, as did Lauren Cantwell, and Nieri doubled.

One of the five hits against Cottage Grove was a two-run homer by senior Tiffani Milliman. The Outlaws' other runs were driven in by Rowe and Edwards, and Nieri tripled.

Against Cottage Grove, the Outlaws scored in bunches - four times in the fourth and three times in the seventh.

The Outlaws were to play Cottage Grove on Tuesday and will visit Sweet Home on Friday before hosting Elmira on April 26.

As a team, the Outlaws are batting .316. Cassidy Edwards leads the way with a .609 batting average, while Rowe is hitting .421, Nieri .333, Cantwell .326 and sophomore Ashley Smith .303. Rowe and Cassidy Edwards each lead with 14 runs batted in and Nieri has a dozen.