ROSEBURG – The Roseburg softball team led for a majority of Wednesday’s 2nd round contest against the visiting Reynolds Raiders, but one bad inning cost the Indians in a 2-1 loss that ended their season.
The Indians pulled ahead in the first inning on an inside-the-park home run by senior Baylee Wyscaver. She hit a blooper down the line in right field and the Reynolds player just missed making the catch. The ball got by the defender and Wyscaver never stopped running. By the time the relay throw was heading towards the infield, Wyscaver was rounding third and easily beat out the throw home.
Roseburg led 1-0 through the first five innings as both pitchers dominated the opposing hitters. Senior Ashley Martin only surrendered one hit to the Raiders over the first five innings. Reynolds’ starting pitcher, Ashley Cook, settled in after the first, allowing only two more hits over the next six frames.
Trailing by a run, the Raiders scored twice in the sixth inning to take the lead. Although the runs almost never happened. Senior Madi Grose reached on a one-out single and advanced to second on a throwing error. Junior Sarah Stanfill followed Grose with what was intended to be a sacrifice bunt, but the Indians defense was out of alignment and couldn’t make the out at first. On the play, Stanfill wisely saw second base uncovered and took two bases on the bunt single and the Raiders had runners at second and third with only one out.
Ashley Martin induced a ground out from Reynolds’ cleanup hitter Alison Walton for the second out. The Indians were one out away from getting out of the sixth without giving up the lead when senior Autumn Hall hit a ground ball towards second. Roseburg second baseman Marinda Carlyle had to go a long way to field the ball and her throw to first was a half-step behind Hall, who drove in both runners with her infield single.
The Indians still had six outs left to try and at least tie the score, but Reynolds’ pitcher Ashley Cook didn’t give up a hit the rest of the way. Roseburg got a runner on base in the sixth and the seventh via walks, but neither runner was able to advance past second base.
Cook earned the win, pitching a complete game and allowing just four hits, one run, and three walks, while strikign out one. Martin took the loss despite only giving up four hits, one walk, and no earned runs. The senior also struck out seven hitters.
Neither team had a player record more than one hit and Wyscaver’s home run was the only extra base hit of the day.
This is the second consecutive post season where Reynolds has been the No. 23 team in the state playoff bracket and advanced all the way to the quarterfinals. The Raiders have now upset No. 10 Beaverton and No. 7 Roseburg and will face No. 2 Jesuit on Friday.
Roseburg ends the year with a 22-7 overall record. The Indians have three seniors that graduate this school year. The team will return seven starters, including four which were freshman this season.
SCORES BY INN. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 – R H E
REYNOLDS 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 – 2 4 1
ROSEBURG 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 1 4 2
W: Ashley Cook
L: Ashley Martin
