Hornets Hoped to Buzz Top Ranked Spartans

The seventh ranked Henley Hornets (21-6), champions of the Skyline Conference, face the top ranked Marist Spartans (28-1) for the 4A title.

The Hornets have won 14 straight, but were the last team to get a ticket to Corvallis when they had to wait until Wednesday, and travel to Medford, to whip last year’s runner up Scappoose 12-2. It was only the second time in that 14 game streak the Hornets allowed more than 1 run. Eight of Henley’s 9 shutouts came in that streak. Meanwhile, Henley has scored double digit runs in 8 of their last 16 games.

The Hornets will need all that offense and defense against the Spartans. Marist has won 23 straight, since a 5–1 loss March 25^th. to the Shawdow Ridge, Nevada Mustangs. The Spartans have the top run defense in 4A, allowing only 34 runs all season, and have posted 10 shutouts and 3 one run games in their last 14 outings. Marist has mustered 18 shutouts this season. At the same time, the Spartans field the top 4A offense, second only to 2A1A Champion Union in all classes in runs scored, and are 6 runs shy of averaging 10 runs per game.

Both teams have won on run playoff games, as well as posting multiple large margin wins.

(Updated with photos.)

Marist also features the remarkable hitting streak of junior Kayla Braud, granddaughter of Coach Bob Hammitt. Braud has stretched that streak over three years to 72 games, which long ago erased the previous national high school record of 46 games.

The Hornets, coming off playoff trips to Aurora and Medford, are once again the visitors, both figuratively and literally, while the Spartans, who eliminated Capital Conference visitors Cascade and Gladstone, but made the long haul to Baker pay off, gets the "home" dugout.

Despite the drive, and current gas prices, Henley, with some reinforcements from other Skyline Conference, Southwest, and Southern Sky schools, has brought a slightly bigger crowd than the relatively close by Marist.

Marist's freshman pitcher Nyree Wright comes in with 335 strikeouts on the season, but throes Sierra Patzke 3 balls before finding the zone, and walks her on 5 pitches. Jessi Driessen's bunt puts 2 runners on, and the Coach is already out to visit. Britany Grant strikes out, but then Patzke sneaks a steal of third. And the home plate umpire rules Driessen out for leaving early at first! Autum Wedan strikes out, and Braud gets out of it.

Braud trips on a bunt attempt, to the crowd's amusement, then hits a fan with a foul ball, before striking out to start things for Marist. Danielle Gehrke's soft grounder to Patzke at second is an easy out. White's deep drive to right isn't, and its a double. Danielle Kast comes in to run for White, and takes third on a ball off the net behind the catcher. The rise balls are coming off the net like it was a trampoline! But Wedan gets Whitney Hoff swinging, and a lot of first inning excitement has produced no runs.

Mariah Mahon bumps one down the first base line, and is an easy tag for Molly Stephenson. Designated Player Tia Sellars strikes out, and so does Megan Driessen. 4 of 6 Henley outs are Ks for White so far.

Spartan catcher Kayla Raye draws a walk, and Amanda Boyd comes in to run for her. And runs to second, uncontested. But then its called a foul, and Lindsay Ferreria proceeds to strike out. So does Stephenson and Danielle Ragan. 3 Ks get Wedan out of the inning.

Dakota Doke, who won the Hornets' quarterfinal game with her bat, goes down swinging to start the third inning. With 2 out, Patzke singles to center, and when Driessen doubles to right, she tries to leg it in, and gets tagged out on the leg! A great relay throw allows White to escape the third inning! 9-4-1-2 on the play!

Marist’s Kayla Raye (18) puts Henley’s Sierra Patzke out at the plate.

Brooke McAllister strikes out for Marist, but Braud bangs one back to Wedan, and the throw is off line to first. Braud gets credit for a hit, and the hitting streak goes to 73 games!

Gehrke walks after a Marist coach's conference with the umpire throws of Wedan's rythym. White also walks to load the bases, and out comes Henley Coach Ruth Strauch to talk things over with the entire infield group.

Hoff strikes out, and so does Reay, after a foul by an inch shot doesn't get an out at third. Still no score, but a WHOLE lot of action! 7 runners left on, 5 in scoring position so far! And a combined 14 Ks in 3 innings!

2 more strikeouts, but then Mahon hits a roller to second for a single, which is thrown into the dugout. Mahon moves to second on the error. But Sellars strikes out, and White is out of it, with her 9th. K so far.

Wedan gets 2 more strikeouts, but Ragan lays down a perfect bunt on the line, and the first baseman Driessen slips down with the ball, and can't make a play. But short stop Brittany Grant makes a leaping grab on McCallister's pop into short left field to end the fourth inning.

Henley shortstop Brittany Grant makes a leaping grab in short left field.

M. Driessen's bunt pop up settles in White's glove for the first fifth inning out. Doke walks, and Brittany Otero comes in as a courtesy runner. But a pop out to short left strands another runner, and ends the top of the fifth.

Braud starts with a sharp single to left center, and goes to second on a wild pitch to the net. Doesn't matter, Gehrke walks on the next pitch anyway. White flys out to M. Driessen in left, but Hoff advances both runners with a sacrifice bunt.

Marist’s Whitney Hoff (11) drops a bunt in front of Henley catcher Dakota Doke to advance runners.

A wild pitch isn't enough to score on, as Wedan covers quickly. Reay should be out on a third strike, but the check swing is called?! But a pop out to Patzke at second strands two in scoring position. Its the first at bat without a strikeout so far. On to the sixth!

J. Driessen grounds out to second, and 2 strikeouts, though the catcher has to throw to first for the out.

Ferreria might have been hit by a pitch, or maybe not, but walks anyway. Carly Stiltner subs in to run. Stephenson strikes out, but Ragan walks. McCallister drops a blooper into center, but Elsie Goddell makes a great sliding catch for out number two! Braud lifts a fly to center, but Goddell grabs that too! On to the seventh, still 0-0!

Henley’s Elsie Goddell makes a sliding catch as Sierra Patzke (3) covers.

Mahon strikes out, and Braud throws out Sellars. M. Driessen is White's 14th. strikeout, and we go to the bottom of the 7th., with the 2-3-4 hitters coming up.

Gehrke walks on 4 pitches! Winning run on! White flys out to center; Hoff advances Gehrke with a sacrifice bunt. Raye bangs one to the left side, and dives into first, but is out! On to the eighth!

Marist’s Kayla Reay dives into first base, but Jessie Driesen (2) has the putout.

Doke grounds out to third; Goddell strikes out. Patzke drives one onto the batting cages down the left field side, but its foul by 3 feet. It was over the top of the foul pole! And then she strikes out! 16Ks for White.Henley’s Dakota

Henley's Dakota Doke (4) grounds out in the eighth inning.

Wedan mows down 3 batters. After only 1 strikeout since the 4th., and the first 3 up 3 down inning for Marist, but boy, did she fire it in the eighth!

Henley’s sophomore pitcher Amber Wedan strikes out the side in the eighth inning.

J. Driessen bumps out to White, then Lindsey Shannon grounds out to first. Wedan strikes out, and it's the Spartans' turn in the bottom of the ninth.

McCallister walks, and advances on a perfect bunt by Braud. Marist conference to discuss how to win this. A ball to the backstop advances the runners, and a foul leads to a pile up on the left side. Gehrke lofts a fly to center, and McCallister tags and comes home, but Goddell guns her down!

Henley’s Dakota Doke tags out Marist’s Brooke McCallister at home plate.

White walks, Kast comes on to run for her again. Hoff flys out to left, and we go to the 10th. inning.

International Tiebreaker now in effect, and both teams start with their last prior batter on second base.

Wedan starts on second, and advances to third on Mahon's bunt. Jenna Harrington fouls one off a light pole outside left field, then softly pops to White. Driessen fouls off a rise ball, and after fouling one off the ump, strikes out. That's 18 strikeouts for White, against 0 walks!

Marist’s Nyree White struck out 18 Hornets.

Marist's turn! Hoff on second, Reay at the plate. She walks on a pitch in the dirt, and Hoff's at third. Boyd on to run for Reay. Ferreria grounds to short, and Hoff beats the throw! Marist wins 1-0 in 10 innings!

Marist’s Lindsay Ferreria (8) delivers the game winning hit…

After the obligatory cooler dump, Coach Hammitt commented "I'll take the ice for that!"

After his bath, Coach Hammitt discussed the game, saying "Nobody should have to lose a game like that. It was a great pitching game. For a sophomore, White is very mature." White commented "I like to be under pressure. I didn't really feel it. Even though, and because we are used to scoring, I knew we would eventually come thru."

White, who will play this summer for the Eugene Thunder ASA team, explained "The 1-0 Gladstone game really helped prepare us. We felt after that our defense would come through. This is such a great team, strong in every area. I'm just happy to help in any way."

Marist celebrates winning the 4A state softball championship.

The win adds a girls' title to the football and basketball titles won earlier this academic year by the boys. White explained "This feels really good. Our team supported the others, and the entire school supports us."

Henley Coach Strauch assessed the game, observing "Well, you know, both teams were dead even for 10 strong innings. In an International Tie Breaker situation, anything can happen. Our defense has not been challenged like that. Autumn (Weden) threw great, in her first time in those kinds of situations. The pressure didn't get to her. In the end, someone had to win."

Coach Hammitt credited Henley as well, noting "Henley made great plays. Their center fielder (Godell) was great. And with a sophomore pitcher in Wedan, we expect to see them again. We lose six seniors, but have nine players back, so we plan to come back. They lose only about three players, so we could see this several more times."

Coach Hammitt's plan for a return will come as good news, given that despite winning the two boys' state titles, the Spartans will have to replace the head coach in both those programs, though Hammitt observed "I don't plan to go anywhere, but who knows, they may fire me!"

With Kayla Braud and her hitting streak, now intact at 73 after her three hit performance, to build around, the Spartas look to carry the performance over to next year. Braud's view of the game was "It kept us on our toes. We came to play today, and at the end of the game, we just focused on putting the ball in play. And we got 1 run when it counted." As far as the hitting streak goes, when ask how long she can keep it going, she responded "I dunno." But one of the Spartan supporters answered for her with another question, asking "How many games do you have next year?"

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