By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

AURORA, Ore.–  It felt like a December day at North Marion High School Sunday evening with how the wind was whipping around the softball fields.

With the sun fading off to the East on the twilight of the Fall Ball season, many played more than the 26 games the NM Magic 16U had this Fall, Nature made sure that she threw the girls one more curveball with the cold northerly wind.

“I thought I was going to fall over from the cold.  It was so freezing, I was scared of a ball coming and if I was going to catch it because of how cold it is.” smiled Gen Trentzsch, a Woodburn freshman.  “I think (overall) everyone felt good because everyone was cheering.  Everyone was putting in and making a difference.”

Through it all however, the Magic scrapped.  It was who they were, not giving in and not giving up.

In their opening game Sunday afternoon, they rallied from 8-1 down to pull within mere feet of tying and possibly winning the game before falling to the NW Sabotage 8-7.

“It was really awesome finally see us come up.  This team doesn’t really give up until the very last call the ump makes.  I don’t know, it’s a really good thing that we do,” said Pressley Standenmaire, a sophomore at Clackamas High School.

“We had really good spirit,” adds Trentzsch of the first game.  “Once someone got a hit, everyone got a hit.  It was energetic and in there, so we rallied through until the end.”

Entering their final game of the season, they sat 12-13 overall.  One win shy of .500.  For third-place they were playing the Native Stars, and it was a close one in the beginning before the Magic slowly built a 7-2 lead entering the final inning.

Ava Shaffer, her catcher Chloe Vidrio tried to find their grip through frozen fingers.  Their defense trying to stay moving to stay warm through the relentless chill of the late October evening.

The Magic allowed two runs in the fourth inning before closing out the 7-4 victory as the dusk glow from the setting Sun filled the sky, the Magic finished 13-13 as they grouped up one last time as a team.  No cowboy hat in the field for Kaylee Allen, although the hat was in the dugout; but the squad still were sporting their M&M uniforms they wore for their final tournament as they close out this chapter of their playing career’s.

“I feel like we did great with how much of a new team that we were.  It was pretty cold but we stuck in there,” said Standenmaire.

Photos By Jeremy McDonald

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