Outlaws looking ahead to playoff action

Senior Night ended on a high note for the Outlaws. The Sisters Varsity Baseball team blanked Harrisburg last week for a League record of 15-3. A shutout win capped off a four-game week: Sisters beat Harrisburg 7-2 on Tuesday, May 7, defeated Taft 19-3 on Wednesday, then took down Harrisburg twice on Friday, 8-4 and 10-0.

Between Friday's games, the team celebrated its seniors Austin Dean, Justin deSmet, Brody Fischer, and Tristen Madron.

From the mound, Fischer gave up three hits, struck out eight, and walked one over six innings. He, deSmet, and Madron each scored in the third, as did sophomores Sebastian Storch and Jace Owens.

Dean scored and drove in runs on Tuesday. Fischer drove in five runs on three hits Wednesday, and recorded three more the next game.

"He's been having a lot of fun this year. Winning helps," said Fischer's dad, Kyle. "There have been a lot of past seniors that were good leaders, so I think coming into the year, he kind of knew what it meant to be a senior. There's a good group of juniors, as well, behind us. We're excited. I think this whole season has been focused on, 'Let's get through the league and get ready for the playoffs,' and I think they're in a good spot to do that. It's been a good season."

Kyle Fischer credits a deep pitching staff for keeping the team in contention.

"At this level, pitching is everything. We've had some ups and downs with trying to score runs game to game but pitching's been pretty steady, for the most part," he said.

Storch, for example, threw 11 strikeouts on May 7. Diego Silva, a junior, recorded zero earned runs vs. Taft, as did Fischer vs. Harrisburg in the League finale.

"Oh gosh, it's a great group of boys. It's been a really fun season," said Dean's mom, Amber. "He's been playing baseball with some of these kids since they were 4 and 5 years old. A lot of us have grown up here. It's really fun to watch these boys be able to do that whole journey, all together."

That journey includes a spot in the 20-team OSAA playoffs bracket.

"We're a Top-10 team, and we're in it. We came to win, and made sure to take (Senior Night) seriously but also have fun and come out here with energy," said Fischer. "I feel really good. I feel like we're evolving as a team and getting better, so I'm happy and excited for the playoffs.

Each team will get a bye week in League. Sisters' bye is in the last week of League. There is also a week-long break between League and playoffs, so the Outlaws have two weeks off with only one game scheduled, a non-league game Thursday at Blanchet Catholic.

They may be classified as a 2A team to Sisters' 3A but "they're the best 2A team," noted deSmet. "They've been blowing out all their competition."

The Outlaws will also be watching on Wednesday how the La Pine at Pleasant Hill doubleheader shakes out, as it, too, may affect Sisters' ranking.

"The best case scenario for us is being in the Top 4. You get at least two home games, assuming you win the first one, and then quarterfinals," Fischer explained. "If we beat Blanchet, we'll have a pretty good chance of being in the Top 4. We've really got to lock in on that game."