By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

STAYTON, Ore.– It was definitely a good test prep game for the Stayton softball game entering the 4A postseason when they played a Top 3 team in Astoria Monday afternoon.

The Fisherman used timely hitting in the second inning before the Eagles pulled it together in Astoria’s 9-1 win over Stayton in Stayton with Naymoi Holmstedt and Shelby Burney combined to drive in five of the Fishermen’s runs.

 Astoria’s Maddie Wlikin kept the Eagles bats at bay with five strikeouts in seven inning.  And yes the Stayton Eagle offense outhit the Fishermen, eight to seven, but couldn’t string enough together to make a dent on the scoreboard.

“I think we’re going to work on (hitting with) two strikes against faster pitches,” Brooke Morley said.

“We just need to jump on the first pitch, we would’ve been better off.  They were just hitting in the gaps, it was tough.  I hope it gets us ready for playoffs though because this is what we’re going to see,” adds Isabell Trevino.  “Those two innings (the second and sixth) were the killers..  This week in practice is going to be important.,  We’re going to work on two-strike approach, things like that.”

Morley, along with Christine McCantis led the Stayton offense with two hits.

The Eagles did reset after the tough second inning.  Jessica Rule came in for Trevino, who had a strong first inning before Astoria timed her out, and pitched three perfect innings.  Stepping up to the challenge to settle down and get back online.

“It was really nice, when something like and came back together to pull ourselves out of it.  Not get our heads down and continue to get our bats going,”Rule star.”Stay together and not be negative.”

The Fishermen would take advantage of some mental mistakes in the sixth inning to take a 9-0 lead into the bottom half of the sixth.  Alley Rassmussen, on her Senior Day, broke the shutout with a groundout RBI hit.  It was the lone run of the game as Rule and the defense hung another zero in the seventh.

Rule struck out eight in five-and-a-third innings pitching.  Rule only allowed one hit as Stayton awaited their playoff opponent.

Photos By Jeremy McDonald