By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

SALEM, Ore.–  Playing morning games are tough.  Mix in playing three games at 8am, 10am and noon and it’s a long day.

For the NW Vandals 12U squad, during those three games they went 2-1. Overcoming a slow start in their breakfast game to defeat the Oregon Blaze 11-9.  The bats came alive against Bat Company as they started the day 2-0 following their 6-2 win over BC.

“I’m really impressed with the way they played in the first game, we had a slow start but they came back and played really well.  We played down a little bit in the second game and I think (our third game) we just ran out of steam, we couldn’t get it going at any point,” said Vandals 12U Head Coach Nick O’Quinn.  “We haven’t had as many practices as we would like to have but we got to keep working.”

Hadley C. went 4-for-6 with 6rbi and a Home Run hitting and Tatum C. struck out five in four-and-a-third innings pitched during that span for the Vandals.  But their biggest challenge came in their lunchtime finale against the Shocks 12U.

The Shocks’ Synclair M. had thrown the Vandals batters through the ringer, challenging them with hard, fast pitches during her four innings in the circle and held them hitless in the 7-0 Shocks victory.  Adjusting to the pitcher will be something that the Vandals would need to adjust entering bracket play Saturday at Wallace Marine Park.

“It’s nice to see it.  It’s definitely nice to see and look forward to our girls to adjust, going from a very slow pitcher to a faster pitcher, we just need to adjust faster,” said O’Quinn. “It was definitely nice to see some good competition.”

Josalyn N. drew a walk in the finale as Malia S. (three) and Jari S. (one) combined for four strikeouts against the Shock Friday afternoon.

The NW Vandals 14U squad will play 8am Saturday morning, back at Wallace, in the morning play-in round against the Sherwood Fireballs 08.  Winner plays the Corvallis Lady Knights at 10am in the 12U Bracket.

Photos By Jeremy McDonald