Baseball
Recaps
■ CRESWELL ended its regular season 16-12, secured the No. 2 spot in the Mountain Valley Conference, and earned an automatic bid into the playoffs for the first time since 2009. The Bulldogs ended their regular season with a 4-2 loss to out-of-league South Umpqua. Kayden Roberts went 2-for-3. Pitchers Matthew Jenkins and Jaxon Pelham combined for 8 strikeouts. The Bulldogs won Round 1 of Class 3A baseball playoffs 3-2 against Wallowa Valley on Monday. Roberts went 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Pelham recorded a clutch hit to win the game for the Bulldogs when he hit a 2-RBI double.
■ PLEASANT HILL (#19) ended its season 13-14 and took fourth in the Mountain Valley Conference. The Billies lost 9-4 last Tuesday. Kaden Fisher went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI. Landon Kelley recorded a double. Caleb Van Ordstrand had 2 runs for the Billies. On the mound, Will Sheava, Alejandro Ziolkowski and Kelley struck out 4.
■ SPRINGFIELD (#30) ended its season 3-23 and last in the Midwestern League. The Millers were 0-3 in last week against Crater.
■ THURSTON went 3-0 against Ashland last week. It started with a 1-0 victory on Tuesday, when the Colts recorded the only run in the sixth inning. Braden Corgain scored from third on Grady Saunders’ sacrifice fly. Saunders and Kyle Miller combined for 10 strikeouts on the mound. The Colts then won 7-2 in Game One of their doubleheader against Ashland on Friday. Brock Lundy and David Macdonald both went 2-for-3. Cam Nosack scored 2 runs for the Colts. Connor Molony and Miller threw 10 strikeouts. The Colts then took an 11-1 victory in Game Two. Miller and Saunders both went 3-for-4.
Results
Regular season
Tuesday, May 20
North Valley 9, Pleasant Hill 4
Crater 11, Springfield 0
Thurston 1, Ashland 0
Wednesday, May 21
South Umpqua 4, Creswell 2
Thursday, May 22
Crater 20, Springfield 0
Crater 14, Springfield 2
Friday May 23
Thurston 7, Ashland 2
Thurston 11, Ashland 1
Postseason
Monday, May 26
Creswell 3, Joseph / Enterprise / Wallowa 2
Previews
#15 CRESWELL (16-12)
MVC: (10-5)
■ Leading off: The Bulldogs head to Round 1 on Wednesday where they’ll face No. 2 Cascade Christian. The Challengers hope to avenge an early playoff loss from last season. The Bulldogs, in the playoffs for the first time since 2009, are led by Mathew Jenkins, Colton Hartman, and Jaxon Pelham.
#2 THURSTON (24-3)
MDWL: (18-0)
■ Leading off: The Colts host Round 1 of the Class 5A playoffs against No.16 Putnam Kingsmen. The Kingsmen (13-14) have a big challenge against the two-time defending state champs. Thurston coach Dennis Minium has emphasized that he doesn’t want his team to underestimate any opponent as they eye a three-peat and take it “one game at a time.”
Schedules
3A Creswell Baseball (Advanced from Round 1 on May 26 to Round 2 on May 28)
5A Thurston Baseball (To Round 1 on May 27)
Softball
Recaps
■ SPRINGFIELD (#28) ended its season 4-23. The Millers went 0-3 last week against Crater and recorded 6 hits overall.
■ PLEASANT HILL (#28) ended its season 8-16. The Billies recorded a 7-1 loss to Santiam Christian for their last game. Zaira Duarte recorded the only run for the Billies.
■ THURSTON (20-5) secured second in the Midwestern League. Last week, the Colts went 3-0 against Ashland, starting with a 17-4 win on Tuesday. Gabriella Montes, Daphnie Heckel, and Raygan Litle went 3-for-4. Kasey Ogan recorded 7 strikeouts. Payton Tovey and Rosie Montes hit home runs. The Colts then won 4-0 in Game One of their DH vs. Ashland on Saturday. Montes was 3-for-4 and Ogan 3-for-3. Ogan also struck out 7. The Colts won 9-1 in Game Two. Montes went 4-for-4, and Ogan recorded 5 strikeouts.
Results
Regular season
Tuesday, May 20
Crater 16, Springfield 0
Thurston 17, Ashland 4
Thursday, May 22
Santiam Christian 7, Pleasant Hill 1
Crater 15, Springfield 0
Crater 15, Springfield 0
Saturday, May 24
Thurston 4, Ashland 0
Thurston 9, Ashland 1
Postseason
Friday May 23
Cottage Grove 6, Phoenix 2
Previews
#19 COTTAGE GROVE (15-10)
SKY-EM: 6-6
■ Leading off: The Lions are advancing to Round 1 for the first time in program history. They played a tough opponent on Tuesday after The Chronicle’s deadline – No. 2 La Grande. The Lions have shown they don’t give up in the face of adversity. CG took down a higher-ranked opponent in its play-in game last week.
#2 THURSTON (20-5)
MDWL: 15-3
■ Leading off: The Colts hosted the No.16 West Albany Bulldogs in Round 1 of the Class 5A softball playoffs on Tuesday. Though the Bulldogs are lower ranked, they advanced to the quarterfinals last year, whereas the Colts have struggled to move past Round 1 recently. Also, West Albany has a 3-0 record against the Colts over the last three years. This might be an opportunity for the Colts to tip that record and avenge an early-season loss. Look for standouts Gabriella Montes and Kasey Ogan in the circle this postseason.
Schedules
4A Cottage Grove Softball (Advanced from Play-In to Round 1 on May 27)
5A Thurston Softball (To Round 1 on May 27)
