Phoenix rallies to win Skyline softball title

Prep Roundup
KLAMATH FALLS — Phoenix was down but not out of a decisive Skyline Conference softball game Tuesday.

The Pirates and Henley came into the final league regular-season contest tied for the Skyline crown. And the Hornets broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning to take a commanding 6-0 lead.

But as they’ve done numerous times this season, the Pirates battled back to pull out an 8-6 victory on a cold, rainy day and capture their third Skyline title in the last four years.

Phoenix (15-9, 13-5 Skyline) gets an opening-round bye and will host a state playoff game May 25.

"We showed so much heart and character," Phoenix coach Molly Pendergast said. "When we were down, we just didn’t give up."

Phoenix starter Nicole Engle held Henley scoreless on one hit through the first four innings. But the Pirates defense unraveled in the fifth and the Hornets scored six runs on two hits, four errors, one walk, one hit batter and an illegal pitch.

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But fortunately for Phoenix, Henley pitcher Alisa Wedam had trouble of her own in the sixth. Wedam hit two batters, walked two and had two wild pitches in addition to three passed balls and two errors. All that led to six Phoenix runs on just one hit to tie the game.

In the seventh, Shonda George opened with a single for the Pirates and Robin Singleton reached on a bunt single. After a double steal, both runners scored on passed balls while Terra Fry was at the plate.

Henley threatened in the bottom of the inning by loading the bases but pitcher Taylor Barrett, who relieved in the fifth, got a foul-tip third strike to end the game.

"The way the weather conditions were, the pitchers were having a hard time gripping the ball," said Pendergast.

For Phoenix, it turned out to be a matter of survival.

"We had to dig down deep for this one," concluded Pendergast.

Phoenix....................................000 006 2 — 8 4 6

Henley......................................000 060 0 — 6 6 3

Engle, Barrett (5) and Hanscom; Wedam and Salcedo. W — Barrett (7-2). L — Wedam (8-2).

ROGUE RIVER 11, MAZAMA 9 — At Rogue River, the Chieftains jumped out with a five-run first inning in the Skyline Conference finale.

Jessica Lea’s two-run double to score Jordon Reyes and Jesse Vegos, followed by Rhonda Winfrey’s RBI double helped Rogue River to an early lead.

Mazama took the lead in the fourth, but Anessa Burtner’s two-run triple in the bottom of the frame helped Rogue River regain the advantage.

Reyes had three hits and Michelle Krein two for Rogue River (9-9 Skyline).

Mazama (8-10 Skyline) kept the game close with a Danielle Stratton homer, Becky Borror double and two hits from Chelsea McDaniel.

Mazama..................................201 420 0 — 9 10 5

Rogue River............................501 311 0 — 11 9 5

Pisan and Borror; Lusk and Giesbrecht. W — Lusk. L — Pisan. 2B — RR: Lea, Lusk, Winfrey, Burtner; M: Borror. 3B — RR: Burtner. HR — M: Stratton.

HIDDEN VALLEY 5, NORTH VALLEY 1 — At Murphy, Jenny Spurling accounted for four of Hidden Valley’s five runs in the Skyline Conference victory.

Spurling knocked in Anna Bell and Jessica Slauter in the third inning with a two-run doubles. She matched the effort in the fifth inning with another two-run double.

Bell went 3-of-3 with two runs and a double.

Destiny Hernandez allowed three hits and had seven strikeouts in the complete-game effort for the Mustangs, while North Valley’s Cassie Hinkle struck out seven in five innings.

North Valley.............................100 000 0 — 1 3 1

Hidden Valley...........................003 020 x — 5 7 2

Hinkle, Tri. Morton (5) and Te. Morton; Hernandez and Henning. W — Hernandez. L — Hinkle. 2B — NV: Allison; HV: Spurling 2, Bell.

Baseball

ROGUE RIVER 9, MAZAMA 3 — At Klamath Falls, Rogue River used an explosive first inning led by Alex Waroff’s two RBIs to claim the Skyline Conference championship.

Waroff finished with four RBIs to lead the Chieftains, who finished the regular season one game ahead of Henley at 16-2.

Gary Richardson tossed a four-hitter, and had nine strikeouts and two walks.

Richardson also added a double and two hits, as did Spencer Frantz. Mitch Reagles chipped in with a double and Justin Castro tallied two hits for Rogue River.

Despite the loss, Mazama (11-6 Skyline) clinched a state playoff berth and third place in the conference.

Rogue River............................600 000 3 — 9 11 0

Mazama..................................000 030 0 — 3 4 2

Richardson and Reagles; Crewse, Nelson (1), McGovern (6) and Mettler, Dean (6). W — Richardson. L — Crewse. 2B — RR: Frantz, Richardson, Reagles, Waroff.

NORTH VALLEY 10, HIDDEN VALLEY 5 — At Merlin, North Valley senior pitcher Marcos Morales allowed one earned run and went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

Morales struck out eight and walked two.

Tim Urbanik staked Hidden Valley (7-17, 3-15 Skyline) to an early lead with a two-run homer in the first.

The Mustangs led 5-3 when North Valley rallied for five runs in the fifth inning. The Knights combined five hits with two walks and a fielder’s choice. Freshman Keith Suits broke a 5- all tie with an RBI double followed by Morales’ two-run single.

Tim Stickler finished the scoring with a two-run homer in the sixth.

North Valley (7-19, 6-12 Skyline), which went 1-7 in its first eight Skyline games, finished conference play by going 5-5.

Hidden Valley.......................200 120 0 — 5 6 3

North Valley.........................120 052 x — 10 10 5

Bagwell, Urbanik (6), Dillon (6) and Urbanik, Bagwell (6); Morales and Ogden. W — Morales (2-5). L — Bagwell. 2B — HV: Crowe, Seyboldt; NV: Morales, Stickler, Suits. HR — HV: Urbanik; NV: Stickler.