The Creswell Lady Bulldogs competed in the OSAA 3A first-round state playoffs last week. From left, top: Head Coach Brett Giles, Aubrie Hatch, Destiney Black, Kim Olvera, Carter Kruger, Emma Maness, Gracelyn Ehrich, Jenessa Mallory, Morgan Janshen and Assistant Coach Risa Bryant. Lower: Gabby Halgren, Abbe Grubbs, Hallie Drago, Karinna Leonard, Zaide Allen, Dianna Leveque and Izzy Ramirez. Christopher Palanuk/The Creswell Chronicle
The 15th-ranked Creswell Lady Bulldogs, who went to state as the Mountain Valley Conference/Special District 4 second seed, dropped their state playoff game 12-2 in five innings to second-ranked Dayton on May 22.
Two other MVC/SD-4 teams that had advanced to state did not fare well in their first-round 3A OSAA state playoffs games, either. Eighth-ranked league champion Harrisburg lost to ninth-ranked Scio 11-1 in five innings and 12th-ranked third seed Santiam Christian was blanked 6-0 by fifth-ranked Rainier.
At Dayton, the Lady Dawgs stayed close against the Pirates for most of the game. The game was scoreless through three innings. Creswell scored two in the top of the fourth, and Dayton tied it at 2-2 in the bottom of the inning.
”It was an extremely well-played game by both teams until the bottom of the fifth inning when Dayton scored 10 runs and ended the game by run rule,” head coach Brett Giles said. ”For some inexplicable reason – maybe from the pressure they exerted on our defense – we began messing up on routine plays and making poor decisions. The mistakes snowballed and before we knew it, we were heading home and them moving on.”
In the pitcher’s circle, Destiny Black gave up 12 runs (seven earned) on 10 hits – including two doubles – struck out three and walked two.
Creswell recorded four hits, and three were doubles: Gracelyn Ehrich went 1-for-3 with a double, and RBI and a run; Abbe Grubbs went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI; and Hallie Drago went 1-for-2 with a double.
Black went 1-for-3 and Karinna Leonard scored a run.
”We are really proud of what the girls accomplished this season especially after our rough start. They were able to pull together, even after all the injuries to finish second in our league, and we are looking forward to next season,” Giles said.
While the Lady Dawgs lose valuable, proficient seniors in Drago, Aubrie Hatch, Morgan Janshen and Izzy Ramirez, returning players gained experience this season that will help them move into leadership positions.
”With player injuries and other events, our freshmen class saw a lot of varsity game action and that experience should prove crucial to their success, and we also return a number of experienced upperclassmen,” Giles said. ”It will be tough replacing our seniors, but it usually is.”
MVC baseball teams fared better at state playoffs: top-ranked Pleasant Hill downed 16th-ranked Douglas 12-4, third-ranked Santiam Christian edged 14th-ranked Salem Academy 9-7 and fourth-ranked La Pine edged 13th-ranked Vale 3-2.
In state quarterfinals games on May 24, Pleasant Hill bested ninth-ranked Joseph/Enterprise/Wallowa/Elgin 7-1, Santiam Christian defeated 11th-ranked Taft 12-6 and La Pine downed fifth-ranked Rainier 4-1.
Follow MVC baseball teams’ progress through the 3A state baseball bracket at http://www.osaa.org/activities/bbl/brackets.
