The Battle Ground softball team secured three hits but the Tigers were unable to score in a 4-0 loss to Skyview on Wednesday, April 12 at Fort Vancouver High School.
Pitcher Rylee Rehbein had a solid performance with 13 strikeouts, one walk, four hits and one run that could have possibly been turned into four after a walk in the sixth inning.
“Without the walk, she’s out of this thing with one hit and one run,” Battle Ground Head Coach Jeremy Barr said. “Skyview can flat out rake. I mean they put up 10 runs against everybody and for (Rehbein) to do what she did against them, like I said, she’s one pitch away from a one-hit and one-run game.”
That one hit was ultimately the difference maker as the home run in the first inning came from Skyview’s sophomore pitcher Maddie Milhorn.
The game was the definition of a pitcher’s duel. The Tigers had no errors in the field on defense. On offense, three hits and a runner in scoring position was not enough to change the tide of the game before the Storm blew it open in the sixth.
Leading off for the Tigers, Hailey Ferguson had two hits in three at-bats with a slap-hit approach. Another key performance for the Tigers came from their catcher.
“Candice Torgerson did a great job behind the plate. She did a heck of a job,” Barr said. “Rylee is a tough kid to catch because she gets so much movement on her pitches, and for a sophomore that doesn’t have a lot of time catching (Rylee), (Torgerson) really did a great job.”
Rehbein’s pitching performance included the first 10 outs for the Tigers, which were recorded by strikeouts.
The Tigers have fallen to a 0-2 record in league play with a 5-3 record overall. Battle Ground was set to play the Prairie Falcons on Monday, April 17.
Up next for the team, they’ll face Mountain View on Thursday, April 20, and Skyview on Friday, April 21.
