Outlaws swing into season with win

The Outlaws baseball team had a good performance in their first outing of the season with a 5-4 win at La Pine on Tuesday, March 15. They suffered a tough 1-2 loss at home against Cottage Grove on Friday.

In Tuesday’s action the Outlaws came out with a lot of energy and scored three runs in the first inning. Brody Duey doubled on a line drive to left field to score Sisters’ first run. Patrick Silva followed with a ground ball to left field for a single and scored Duey to put the Outlaws up 2-0.

Kai Jackle singled on a fly ball to right field and advanced Silva to third, and then Jack Weston singled on a hard-hit grounder to right field that scored Jackle for Sisters’ third run in the inning.

The Outlaws added a run in the third and La Pine answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning to make it a 4-1 game. In the bottom of the seventh the Hawks scored three runs to tie it up 4-4.

In the top of the eighth, Brody Fischer led off with a walk, and Ben Cooper was subbed in as a pinch runner. Weston hit a sacrifice bunt, and advanced Cooper to second. Hudson Symonds stepped up to the plate and his hard-hit single to left field scored Cooper and gave the Outlaws the go-ahead run, 5-4, which held to the end of the game.

Silva finished the game with four hits and one RBI, Jack Weston had two hits and one RBI, and both Duey and Fischer had one hit and one RBI.

Sisters’ three pitchers, Duey, Dean, and Silva also had an impressive showing for the first game of the season. All three threw the ball well, combined for only two walks in the eight innings played, and recorded nine strikeouts.

Coach Kramer Croisant said, “We had a few too many strikeouts (12), and defensively we have a few areas that need improvement, but we will improve in both those areas.”

On Friday, Patrick Silva hit a single that scored Austin Dean for Sisters’ lone run in the game.

“Once again our pitchers pitched well, and our defense was solid and much improved from the first game,” said Croisant. “Offensively, we struggled at the plate. I have to give credit to Cottage Grove’s pitcher, who kept us off balance with an above-average fastball and a breaking ball he could throw for strikes.

“Our focus is going to be improving on the offensive side of the baseball,” added Croisant. “We need to make adjustments at the plate and capitalize on opportunities when they are given. I have confidence we will improve.”