Tigers rebound after season's first loss

After opening its season with a 4-0 record, the Clatskanie High School girls softball team fell 16-7 at home last Friday, March 28 to John Day’s Grant Union High School. Following the team’s victory over Umatilla on Monday, March 24, Clatskanie had to fight off a relentless, near comeback from host Warrenton on Tuesday, March 25. Jumping out to a 10-0 lead going into the bottom of the first inning, Clatskanie was outscored 11-2 the rest of the way, including a five-run sixth inning, before closing out Warrenton 12-11. The Tigers were led by junior Joey Sizemore, who knocked in six runs on three hits and scored three runs as well. Sophomore Olivia George and junior Kyrielle White knocked in two runs each and also scored one run each, and sophomore Adalyn Wemmer co-led the team with three runs scored. Sophomore Payton Taylor and junior Kennedy Johnson also had an RBI each in the one-run victory.

Later on Tuesday, the Tigers held off another late rally to secure a one-run victory; this time, against Seaside. Leading 2-1 going into the bottom of the third inning, Clatskanie appeared to have the game well in hand after a seven-run explosion made the score 9-1. However, the Seagulls scored eight unanswered runs over the top of the fourth and fifth innings to tie the game at 9-9. The Tigers scored once in the bottom of the fifth and added another four in the bottom of the sixth to take a seemingly insurmountable five run lead heading into the top of the seventh. The Seagulls would score four times in the frame and cut the lead to 14-13. Killing the rally to close out the game, Clatskanie maintained its perfect 4-0 record on the season. Sizemore led the team with four hits and three RBI, followed by two RBI apiece by Taylor and White. Taylor led the team with three runs scored, while George and sophomores Emma Parmley and McKinsey Doyle scored twice each in the one-run victory.

Unfortunately, the Tigers’ season received its first blemish against Grant Union. Falling behind 9-0 going into the bottom of the second inning and 15-3 going into the bottom of the fourth, Clatskanie found itself in the role its opponents have thus far in the season. Despite scoring four unanswered runs, the Tigers’ rally would end in the fifth inning and, with no runs crossing the plate in the sixth, Clatskanie had its first showing in the “L” column. George led the Tigers with two runs, two hits, and three RBI, and Johnson scored two runs of her own while adding an RBI. Doyle contributed two hits, scored a run, and knocked in a run in the losing cause.

Despite facing an 8-3 deficit going into the top of the fifth against Santiam Monday, the Tigers outscored the Wolverines 17-2 over the final three frames to get back on the winning side. Taking advantage of four Santiam errors, Clatskanie scored nine times in the bottom of the fifth to take a lead it would not relinquish. The Tigers were led by George and Parmley, who combined for five hits, six RBI, and three runs scored. Wemmer led the team with four runs scored while knocking in two of her own. Sizemore scored three runs of her own, followed by two apiece for Taylor, Johnson, White, and senior Karielle Carlson.

The Tigers (5-1) traveled to Longview, WA, on Tuesday, April 1, to take on the Mark Morris Monarchs, but the results of the game were not available at the time of press. The team will travel to Astoria on Friday, April 4, and returns home Saturday, April 5, at 2 p.m. to host Salem Academy.