The Philomath High School softball team pushed first-place Stayton into the sixth inning Wednesday before falling by a 10-6 margin.
The Eagles, unbeaten in the Oregon West Conference, broke a 5-5 tie in the sixth inning by putting up four runs. Philomath countered with a run in the bottom half but Stayton put the game away in the seventh with an insurance run and by holding the Warriors scoreless.
PHS junior Ahnika Tryon had a quality start at pitcher with a complete-game performance that included six hits and three earned runs allowed with five walks and four strikeouts.
Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the first, Philomath (3-13 overall, 2-5 Oregon West) scored its first run on Tryon’s two-out single to plate Mia Bennett, who had led off the inning with a single.
Stayton (15-3, 8-0) took a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the fourth. Hannah Bennett led off with a double, Kori Galvan reached on an error and Presley Reichhuber walked to load the bases. Mia Bennett came through with a two-run, two-out double to pull the Warriors to within 4-3.
After Stayton scored in the top of the fifth, Philomath again had a response in the bottom half. Janae Traglia, Tryon and Galvan loaded the bases with singles and Kelsey Olsen followed with a clutch double to drive in two runs and tie the score, 5-5.
Errors, passed balls and a hit batsman played key roles in Stayton’s four-run sixth inning.
Philomath scored its final run in sixth on a one-run, two-out single by Tryon that drove in Grace Bennett, who had earlier singled.
Mia Bennett and Tryon both went 3 for 4 with two RBIs to lead the team offensively.
Jessica Rule struck out 13 in a complete-game performance at pitcher and was also her team’s offensive leader by going 2 for 4 with two RBIs.
Philomath is scheduled to play at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Newport.
