Spartans Find Second Title Against Hornets

Marist and Henley open Saturday's action with another championship game rematch. Last year, the Spartans needed 10 innings to get a 1-0 win over the Hornets, and all season long, the Spartans, also ranked 23^rd. in the national USA Today poll, have been ranked #1 in 4A. The Hornets have been right on their heels, ranked #2.

The game is also a rematch of last year's pitching duel, as Marist's senior Nyree White, the co-player of the year in the SkyEm, again faces Henley junior Autumn Wedan, a first team Skyline selection pitcher. The duo combined for 32 strikeouts in last year's classic showdown.

Skyline champion Henley (21-6, 12-0) got back to the title game with a 3-2 win over Sutherlin, in a game shortened to 5 innings by a thunderstorm. The win also gave Henley the season series against the Blue Bulldogs, the only 4A opponent to beat the Hornets. 5A Madras, Sutherlin, and Yreka all took games from Henley, only to have the Hornets avenge the losses in the second game of double headers.

Henley also lost to Crater, who reached the 5A title game for the third straight year.

In addition to looking for back to back titles, Marist will be looking to extend one of the more remarkable records in high school sports, as senior Kayla Braud, the other SkyEm co-player of the year, looks to extend her national record hitting streak to 103 games in her last high school game. A hit will result in a 57^th. new record for Braud, as the old record was 46 games.

(In a demonstration of their commitment (or lack thereof) to the weekend's event, OSU shut off the connectivity to the softball complex they had previously committed to for Saturday's events, and provided no off-hours support. Consequently, reports on today's games must be limited to after the fact.)

A "coastal mist" greeted the teams for the morning game, but contrasted with Friday's steady rain, this is nothing but an aid in keeping the dust down. Heavy air and an inbound breeze will conspire against hitters to keep the ball in the park, but may make life interesting for the outfielders as well.

Having the shortest drive, Marist has a good contingent of fans on hand, but Henley has a healthy turnout as well, bolstered by a number of Tornado fans who came early.

White got off to a slow start, serving up three straight balls, but bounced back to strike out leadoff hitter Brittany Grant on three more pitches. And that's the end of her problems for the first inning.

Henley's Crystal Davis (4) fouls a pitch off the inside of her knee. Ouch!

Kayla Braud can't beat out a grounder to the left side, and the hitting streak isn't extended in her first at bat. Wedan has to work harder for the next out, and White draws a walk. But a grounder gets the Hornets out of the inning.

White struggles to start the second inning as well, but Kayla Prock's hard hit to third doesn't get thru Sarah Jamieson. A strikeout is followed by a walk, but then a fly ball, and the inning ends. White isn't sharp, but she also isn't throwing anything that will get her in trouble.

Three Marist defenders converge on a fly ball in shallow right field.

A full count walk to Allison Behrends is wiped out when Sarah Jamieson pops a bunt up to first baseman Mariah Mahon, and she doubles Behrends off. Another easy infield putout puts the game into the third inning.

Marists's Allison Behrends (15) is doubled off at first by Rylee Carlton (2).

Megan Driessen reaches on an error when shortstop Braud slips, and advances on a wild pitch, which brings the pitching coach out. A passed ball high off the catcher's glove sends Driessen to third. Brittany Grants short fly is too short to drive in Driessen, but Wedan's ground ball gets the job done, as Amanda Boyd can't get the tag down.

Henley's Megan Driessan scores before Amanda Boyd can tag her.

White gets out of trouble with a strikeout and a fly that dies in the wind, but the Hornets have stung first, for the 1-0 lead in the third.

The mist is getting heavier, and the wind stronger, and Wedan strikes out the first two Spartans. Braud lines out to a diving Jeanna Harrington at third, and the streak still isn't extended.

Henley pitcher Autumn Wedan had two of her four strikeouts in the third inning.

White mows down Henley in order as well, in a game that has the pace and feel of a baseball game.

Wedan walks Danielle Gehrke, and White drives one to right. It hangs, but Driessen drops it, and Strauch comes out after Gehrke goes to third. Wedan wraps two outs around a walk, but Amanda Boyd's single to left ties it up, as the rain lets up.

Marist's Amanda Boyd delivers the game tieing RBI.

A groundout get us to a new game in the fifth inning, tied 1-1. One error each, but White still has a no-hitter, against Wedan's one-hitter.

8-9-1 hitters up for Henley, and Braud makes a great diving snag and throw to just get Rylee Carleton, in the middle of a pair of strikeouts.

Braud extends the streak to 103 with a grounder to right, but that's all Marist gets done in the fifth.

Marist's Kayla Braud extends her national record hitting streak to 103.

Two balls that are hit, but not out of the infield, and a strikeout, clears the 2-3-4 Henley hitters for White.

Lindsay Ferriera leads off with a walk, but Behrends lines out to second, and Jamieson pops out to Wedan. But Amanda Boyd drops one into the middle of the infield, and the Hornets have no play. A diving snag to her left by Carleton at second gets Henley out of trouble, and we go to the seventh, still tied 1-1.

Wedan leads off, as Henley sends the 5-6-7 slots up. And strikes out. A pop up and another strike out sets up an opportunity for the Spartans for a walk-off win.

9-1-2 slots up for Marist, and Wedan can't handle Kast's leadoff bunt. Braud pops up a bunt, and Kast should have been doubled off, but Wedan throws wild to first. The cost of the error is huge, as an error on the throw to second trying for a double play on Gehrke's grounder allows Kast to score when the throw in from right field is also off line.

Spartans win 2-1 on two errors.

"The whole game was really just about making them play a lot of balls, all game long," Hammitt explained. "And we eventually forced them into an error, and managed to win a ball game. I've been around forever, and seen a lot of games like this. You have to stay in it, but I do feel lucky."

The ending was a surprise and a disappointment to Strauch, but "Not totally. Last year, the girls had never been here, and came in timid, and shy. This year, they didn't. They came in confident, and played aggressive. But that alone doesn't mean it will be clean. They tried to turn the double play, and hurried just a touch, and the ball got away."

"Fortunately, we have 8 returning from this team, and they got a lot more good experience," Strauch observed.

For Kast, it was the range of emotions in a matter of seconds. "I thought sure she (Wedan) would make the throw, and I'd have let the team down. I didn't wait to see the ball on the ground. And then when the throw went into right field, I popped up and saw Coach Bob waving me in, and I knew I could make it with a good turn at third," Kast said.

Marist pitcher Nyree White was the player of the game, throwing a no-hitter.

For White, who threw an 11 strikeout no-hitter in picking up a second consecutive one run over Henley with a title at stake, it was "Amazing. I never expected to get back to the title game. But when we did, l've enjoyed it more, and it is great to send the seniors off with a championship. And after we got thru the top of the seventh, I just felt like we would get it done."

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