After suffering a dismal pounding from third ranked Junction City two weeks ago as well as the loss of JV pitcher Imari Gabica to injury, the Lady Falcons softball team found themselves at 11-7 and outside the possibility of the play in games. Ah... what a soothing balm a 5 game winning streak can be.
Coming off the deck from the bludgeoning that the Lady Tigers took to them, Courtney Haffner took the rubber against Cottage Grove on the road and was spectacular going all the way in a shortened 5 inning game. Haffner wound up giving up a stingy 2 hits and collecting 8 strikeouts with her baffling off speed pitches. 76% of Haffner's pitches went for strikes. Meanwhile, Maranda Hanson and Ashley Feltz both homered as part of a brutal 16 hit attack that also feasted on 8 Lady Leo walks as Elmira punished Cottage Grove 19-0.
Elmira then pulled off a stunning road upset of Thurston 11-10. Hanson got the win and needed to pitch her best because her teammates committed 5 errors, 3 in the second inning that helped stake Thurston to an early 5-1 lead.
But the Lady Falcons' murderer's row answered in the top of the third. Hanson doubled, followed by Feltz, who also doubled, scoring Hanson in front of her. Then Cheyenne White crushed a 2 run homer over the left field fence scoring Feltz and drawing Elmira within one.
In a back and forth contest by two heavyweight teams, Elmira wrestled the lead away for good in the sixth inning when Madison Wisner walked to open the inning enabling the top of the order to come to the plate. After a Carly Grossmiller ground out, Hanson doubled again, scoring Wisner. Back to back doubles by White and Josie Dickson gave the Falcons a lead they would never loose.
Hanson then took control winning the next three consecutive games including a sweep of a road double header against Marshfield 16-9 and 7-3. Dickson jolted a 3 run homer in the first inning to set the table for Hanson's win.
Finally, Hanson was again solid in a final road win against Siuslaw. She gave up only 1 earned run, going the full 7 innings and tallying 12 Ks in the 12-1 victory. The win saw Carly Grossmiller step up as the offensive hero, moving into the lead off position and going 4 for 5 with 2 RBIs and 4 runs scored.
So now it comes down to Friday, May 10, as 8th ranked Marist comes in with a 20-3 mark in virtual tie with Junction City for the league championship. Both teams are assured of a playoff spot. A sweep of the Lady Pirates would almost guarantee that Elmira would probably rise in the rankings and secure a home field play in game next week. A split will probably keep them in the remaining top 8 in 4A. Two losses could spell an early summer for the softball this year.
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