Saxon’s Thompson Struck Out 15 In Unique Finish To Invite

By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

SALEM, Ore.– The NW Vandals 16U-Vasas knew this day was going to be interesting.

Starting the day with ten girls to end the round-robin Memorial Day Salem Invitational as two of their girls were out at a Basketball game at McNary. They were reduced to nine by the end of the first inning against the Aloha Breeze 18A team as Sheldon’s Payton Burnham went down with a strained muscle.

South Salem’s Rowan Thompson, who was scheduled to pitch game two, came in to pitch the reminder of the Breeze game Monday. Striking out 10 in four innings as their offense produced five runs in their 9-3 win over the Breeze at Wallace Marine Park.

“I think I did pretty good. I was already planning on throwing the second game, but just coming in and throwing into the fire the first game so early was really difficult,” Thompson said. “It was mentally being able to prepare myself.”

Thompson and Saxon teammate Hallie Olson each collected 3RBI’s in the win.

To start the second game, Thompson continued her roll in the circle. Striking out five in three innings against the Bat Company 16-gold team.

But as the game progressed midway through the five-inning game, things got interesting. South Salem’s Desi Hatfield, who was battling an allergic reaction and was playing through throwing up, was deemed ineligible to continue to play. At the same time too, Breezy Summers was deemed ineligible to continue with concussion-like symptoms.

The Vandals with two of their Bat Company counterparts as both teams finished up the Memorial Day Salem Invitational Sunday afternoon (Picture By Jeremy McDonald)

Putting the Vandals down to seven players and not able to continue to play in a then 3-0 ballgame.

However, that’s when something awesome happened. The Bat Company squad loaned two of their players to the Vandals so they could continue and finish-up the game.

“It was definitely the weirdest game I have played. It was kind of a ‘oh ok, I’m playing with another team now’, but it was interesting,” Central and Bat Company’s Kaityln Brian said in joining the Vandals. “It was pretty cool to play, it was interesting.”

Brian played left field and caught a fly-out from Panther and BC teammate Peyton Foreman first at-bat out of the gate.

“It was weird, I didn’t expect that. I expected them to end the game and move on, but we wanted to play and have fun,” smiled Thompson. “So it was nice to have them. They were really sweet girls.”

The Vandals, with their visiting teammates, managed three runs in the 5-3 defeat. West Salem’s Lauryn Johnson came in to pitch the last inning, striking out one in her relief appearance with the Vandals finishing 4-1 on the weekend.

Bat Company 16-Gold finished 5-0 on the weekend.

Photos By Jeremy McDonald