By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

SALEM, Ore.—It’s been a while since seventh-grader Rowan Thompson took to the pitching circle prior to Sunday’s game against the Oregon Thunder-Flores 14U team to wrap up Pool Play.

Last Fall, Thompson had a ball bounce off her knuckles and went to her knee, tearing the Menicus in the joint that required surgery. That surgery happened on January 9 as Thompson has been on the trail of recovery that led her back to pitching for the NW Vandals 14U team for the first time this season Sunday afternoon.

“It feels so good,” smiled Thompson. “I think I did pretty well. I did not do as well as I did in the Fall, but I think I came back pretty strong.”

Thompson picked up the start as the Vandals jumped out to a 5-0 lead against the Thunder that included a three-run third inning featuring a Lacey Vasas single and sacrifice hits by Margo White and Alli Parker to help build the lead.

“We did pretty well, we kept the errors minimal and we really came back and crushed it,” said Thompson of the Vandals 9-2 win Sunday.

The Oregon Thunder picked up two runs against Thompson, one in the third and one in the fourth innings, and loaded up the bases during the fourth inning before sending in Payton Burnham in relief of Thompson.

Burnham picked up a strikeout and a got a fly-out to end the fourth inning and the threat as the Vandals picked up four more runs in the top half of the fifth to turn the 5-2 lead into a 9-2 lead entering the last half-inning.

“We did good, we came out on top so that’s good,” said Kenzie Scott, who went 2-for-2 in the game. “We did good, we were ahead of everything.”

Vasas, Burnham and Christine Berg had two hits each in the win while White and Burnham each collected two RBI’s each. The Vandals play again 9am Monday morning.