By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

SALEM, Ore.–  Barley 12 hours after their High School seasons ended, Silverton’s McKenzee Petersen, Greyson Glivinski, Hannah Houts and Paisley Rains were back on the diamond, putting away their bittersweet 3-1 defeat to Dallas Friday with a 6-1 win with their Summer Club team called the Oregon Bombers 16A.  A Salem-based team as they opened the Summer circuit with their five-run win over the Oregon Blaze 16A-Conner squad.

“It was really nice to come out and be able to play and be all together again,” Rains starts.  “I know we all miss playing together, so it was nice being together  again.”

Rains hit a two-run home run in the bottom half of the fourth inning, driving home South Albany’s Bella Gutierrez who drew a walk in the previous at-bat.    The home run separated the Bombers from the Blaze, giving the Oregon Bombers 16’s a 3-1 lead after the game being knotted up at one going into the bottom half of the inning.  It was one of three runs scored as Sprague’s Summer Melena scored on an error a handful of pitches later.

Rains and West Salem’s Ava Pilgrim each had 2RBI’s in the win and Crescent City, California’s MaKenna Curtis struck out ten in six innings as the Bombers built off of the momentum going into their second game.

“It was good getting back into the groove of things and starting off with a win,” Petersen said.

Then, the rain slowly came in and picked up steam with the Oregon Bombers taking on the Octane 18A.  The Bombers jumped out to a 3-0 lead, Octane tied it going into the bottom of the third inning.  But the rain, which was picking up steam during the second game, was at the point where the games went into rain delay before canceling the games for the rest of the day at the 14A and 16A/18A Memorial Day Salem Invitational.

Petersen and Curtis each had an RBI in the game before it was called and Gutierrez struck out four.  Petersen, Curtis and Aaliya Martinez each had two hits on the rain-shortened day with the squad returning Sunday at Wallace Marine Park out in West Salem.  Blanchet Catholic’s Reagan Rasmussen, who came back from the Cavs tough season ending defeat at Burns Friday night  at 10pm, saw four plate appearances Saturday.

Photos By Jeremy McDonald