A pitching duel between Ridgefield and the Mark Morris Monarchs last week could indicate the 2A Greater St. Helens League will be a battle for the 2A runner-up Spudders.
Mark Morris High School pitcher Makenzie Henthorn struck out 13 Spudders, but Ridgefield still squeaked out a 2-1 victory on Wednesday, March 20. Ridgefield hurler Elizabeth Peery allowed six hits but gave up no earned runs in the win. She also struck out five Monarchs and gave up only one walk.
Mark Morris even out hit the Spudders with six compared with Ridgefield’s four. A double by Peery in the bottom of the sixth gave the Spudders the lead for good. Josslyn Casteel first put Ridgefield on the board on a passed ball to tie the game at one.
“Mark Morris is a great ball club, and they’ve always been one that we’ve had fits against in the years passed, and we knew this year with their pitching that it was going to be a tough one,” Spudders head coach Kelsey Anchors said. “But for this game, it just shows that all we need is one more run than the other team to win and we can do that and with our lineup — one through nine — that we have in there for the starting lineup anyone can get it done.”
The Spudders followed the matchup with another tough opponent, the Columbia River Rapids, Friday, March 22. The Spudders won/lost, 16-5 win.
“Our league is always changing of who’s good and who’s not, and everyone’s always going to be tough,” Anchors said. “So that’s why we’ve got to go in with that mindset this year that everyone’s always going to put up a battle.”
The Spudders played again Monday, March 25, at home against the Woodland Beavers, but results were unavailable at press time. They play a road match at 4 p.m., Wednesday, March 27, at Washougal High School
