By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

SALEM, Ore.–  The bats came around Sunday at Wallace Marine Park for Bracket Play of the 16/18U Memorial Day Salem Invitational Tournament.

They, the Oregon Titans 16U-Zeiher squad, recorded ten hits in their 10-1 win over EForce 18U squad, which featured a two-run home run by Stayton’s Madden Pfahler and three hits from McMinnville’s Rylee Strong in Sunday’s doubleheader.

Pfahler finished with two hits with 2RBI’s in the doubleheader split, including that home run as the Titans finished second in the tournament. Strong led the offense with five hits and an RBI as the Summer Travel Softball season kicked off.

“It was electric and I was due and knowing that I was able to help my team in that way really helped jump on them first.  That last game, we made some errors and got in our heads mentally.  We bounced back at the end.  As our first tournament as a team, it was really rewarding,” said Pfahler. “Just building off of the momentum of this first tournament and just  working hard, grinding out our team in our practices and our coaches and carrying that throughout the rest of the season.”

In the Championship Game against the Soar Athletics 14U squad, the Titans came out strong, but a tough third inning put the Titans in a tough 6-2 deficit that they weren’t able to pull themselves out of late.  Scoring two runs in the bottom half of the fifth inning off of a Bailey Sandquist sacrifice hit and a Olivia Nunez RBI Single with one out, the Athletics were able to shut the door on the Oregon Titans late

Nunez and Sandquist each  had three hits and an RBI to finish off the first tournament of the Summer Ball season, closing out a day that saw the Titans produce 19 hits and driving in seven runs in the two games on Sunday.

Photos By Jeremy McDonald