After stewing on Wednesday’s heartbreaking loss in the bottom of the 7th for two days, head coach Tony Baron and his BHHS Lady Bruin varsity softball team traveled to Myrtle Creek Saturday to take on those same Lady Lancers in an afternoon double-header.
In the early game the Lady Bruins stepped into the box to face a different arm than they had seen earlier in the week, and the Lady Lancer right-hander handed the Lady Bruin top of the order 3 straight outs on two infield grounders and a strike-out. Lady Bruin right-hander Madison Taylor #22 stepped into the circle and immediately returned the favor, sitting down the Lady Lancer lead off batter in order.
The Lady Bruins struggled to get on the basepaths early after the Lady Lancers retired the top of the 2nd in order, before taking a 0-2 lead after the 2nd inning. Lady Lancer pitching did not allow the Bruins to put anything together offensively, and go on to take an 0-8 win against the Lady Bruins.
In the late game of the afternoon, the Lady Bruins saw the same Lady Lancer pitcher they faced Wednesday, and after the South Umpqua hurler struck out the Lady Bruin lead off batter on three strikes, she then hit the next two batters she faced, putting a Lady Bruin base-runner in scoring position. BHHS third baseman, sophomore Rockette Marrington #21 stepped into the batters box and ended the Lady Bruin 14 inning scoring drought with a single to left scoring junior Jordan Pryor, taking a 1-0 lead early.
Madison Taylor #22 was throwing for the Lady Bruins in the afternoon outing, and after getting the lead-off batter on a routine grounder, the next batter would hit a double to left and challenge the Lady Bruin defense, only to be put out pushing the bags at 3rd. Taylor would get the Lady Bruins out of the 1st with a 1-0 lead.
South Umpqua would fight back in the bottom of the 2nd, and take advantage of a double, a walk and a passed ball to take a 1-2 lead after two.
The Lady Bruin bats were silent in the 2nd and 3rd, and the Lady lancers strung together three hits and a Lady Bruin defensive error to add two more runs on the board, and stretch their lead to 1-4 going into the 4th.
Rockette Marrington would start the top of the 4th off with a 1 ball, 1 strike double, and eventually score after a infield error at third base off of a #8 senior Tilly Peters ground ball. Madison Taylor then retired the Lady Lancer side in eight pitches, sending the Lady Bruins into the top of the 5th trailing 2-4.
Pitching would then take over as both pitchers sat batters down until the bottom of the 6th, when Taylor left too much of a 1 and 1 pitch over the plate and was forced to watch the pitch leave the park on the next swing. The home-run extended the Lady Lancer lead to 2-5 going into the final inning of play, with the Lady Bruin top of the order coming to the plate.
Lady Bruin lead-off batter junior Hannah James #5, fought her way on base by forcing a Lady Lancer infield error on a hard hit ground ball to short. A #11 Jordan Crosby walk followed by a Madison Taylor line drive double to left, would bring the Lady Bruins within one, 4-5, with Taylor in scoring position on second, and 1 out. The next Lady Bruin batter would fail to get on before senior shortstop Lexi Schofield stepped to the plate, and liked a 2 and 2 pitch so much, she sent it same day air to her friends on the other side of the left field fence, giving the Lady Bruins a late 6-5 lead going into the bottom of the 7th.
Junior pitcher Madison Taylor would go on to retire the Lady Lancer in order in the bottom of the 7th on eight pitches after throwing a 7 inning complete game, striking out 8, and sealing the Lady Bruin 6-5 win splitting Saturdays double-dip.
The 5-4 Lady Bruins will be on the road again Wednesday, traveling to Coquille to take on the 5-2 Lady Red Devils.
