The top half of the first inning was all Battle Ground softball by taking advantage of some Prairie mishaps to go up 5-0, but by the end of the game, it was Prairie taking advantage of Battle Ground mishaps to win 7-6 on Thursday, April 2.
“That was a crazy game,” Prairie head coach Robyn Mask said. “A really bad first inning, but we just stayed the course and kept battling and found a way to win.”
By the end of the fourth inning, the Prairie Falcons had cut the lead in half, 6-3. On defense, led by pitcher Mackenzie Moore, the Falcons quieted the Tigers for five scoreless frames to enter the bottom half of the seventh inning still down 6-3.
A quick groundout put the Falcons in a hole with two outs remaining, but two back-to-back singles by Emersyn Blunt and Peyton Rodgers gave way for Alyssa Plew to rocket a double to cut the lead 6-4, scoring 12. Kellie Cady dropped a bunt down, leading to a fielder's choice as Tiger pitcher Delyla Gruenberg smartly got the runner out at home plate to keep the lead of two protected now with two outs.
Moore, who recorded three hard contact hits in the game already, stepped up to the plate for the Falcons, but Tigers head coach Jeremy Barr opted to intentionally walk her to face Payton Miller, who had yet to reach base. Miller hit a fly ball to left field, but it was dropped, scoring two runs for the Falcons and, at worst, sending the game into extra innings. But the Falcons still had runners on second and third with an out still to go.
Kylie Moore hit a deep fly ball to right field, a catch sends the game to extras, but it was dropped, scoring her sister Mackenzie Moore, who ultimately went full circle as she pitched a five-run first inning to step on home plate for the win in the seventh inning.
“Mac did a really good job staying dialed in because she was doing her job the whole time,” Mask said. “She stayed dialed in and was a good leader for us out there and was able to get us the win.”
The Falcons now enter spring break 4-4 after a 6-5 loss against the Camas Papermakers the next day on Friday, April 3.
For Mask, her biggest takeaway from this first stretch on the schedule is just the simple fact that her new faces on the roster are continuing to grow together.
“I think we just need to let it fuel our confidence that we can win,” Mask said after the win over Battle Ground. “We have a lot of players on our roster this year, and they just have to believe in themselves that we can win and stay pretty strong.”
The Falcons will come out of spring break with a home game slated against the Kelso Lassies on Tuesday, April 14, at 4:30 p.m.
The Tigers will next face off against Heritage High School on the road on Monday, April 13 at 4:30 p.m.
