A three-run sixth inning keyed the win for the Madras White Buffalo softball program Thursday, May 2.
With the game tied at 3-all, Madras plated three runs in the bottom of the sixth to go up 6-3, then held on for the 6-4 Tri-Valley Conference victory over Molalla at the Buffalo field.
Senior Keira Tortalita pitched all seven innings for Madras, spreading out eight Indian hits and striking out seven. She allowed just one walk.
While Tortalita was dealing on the mound, the rest of the squad was pounding out the hits. Ashley Camas went 4-for-4 with an RBI and freshman Brooklin Anderson was 2-for-3 with her hits being a double and a triple.
"So much fun to see this group of girls put it all together," said Madras coach Shawna McConnell. "This is the team they are. All around great energy and the girls had some serious fight in them today."
The win put Madras as 3-7 and in fourth place in the conference. Mollala fell to 2-9. The Dalles, ranked second in the state, is 12-0 and Estacada and Crook County are battling for second and third, with 8-4 and 7-4 marks after May 2. Gladstone is 1-9.
On a cool May afternoon, Molalla got on the board first with two in the opening inning. Madras made it 2-1 with a run in the bottom of the second inning, only to see the Indians make it 3-1 after the top of the third.
From there, the Buffalo attack plated five of the game's final six runs, highlighted by the bottom of the sixth when they turned that 3-all tie into a 6-3 Madras lead. Molalla scored a run in the seventh to the Buffs were able to close the door on the win.
Along with Camas and Anderson's big days at the plate, the Buffs saw Rylan Davis go 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Hailee Kathrein went 2-for-4 and Tortalita was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Lily Moses accounted for the other hit.
The game was clean defensively as the Buffs made just one error and the Indians were errorless.
Not hits against The Dalles
Facing the top-ranked 4A team in the state, the Buffs fell to The Dalles 15-0 in a five-inning game at The Dalles May 1.
The powerful Riverhawks pounded out 10 hits off Buff pitcher Hailey Kathrein and Ashley Camas.
The Buffs only struck out twice on the day, but their contact at the plate only led to outs.
The Riverhawks scored two in the first, five in the second, then four in both the third and fourth innings, then didn't have to bat in the fifth.
"Offensively we made good contact, but just hit to people," said McConnell. "The Dalles had a couple of very nice plays to take away some base hits."
Madras next is at Crook County on Monday then hosts Estacada Thursday for Senior Night. Game time for both is 4:30.
Tri-Valley Conference Softball standings
as of May 5
(League record, overall record, OSAA ranking)
The Dalles 12-0, 16-1, 1
Estacada 8-4, 14-7, 13
Crook County 7-4, 12-10, 9
Madras 3-7, 5-11, 20
Molalla 2-9, 5-15, 26
Gladstone 1-9, 7-12, 24
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