Through five innings Thursday afternoon against Sweet Home, Philomath High played some of its best defensive softball this season. Starter Laighla Hockema was finding success and the defense backed her up with a solid performance.
Even after the Huskies pushed three across in the fifth, Philomath rallied and took a 5-3 lead into the seventh inning. A grounder to third resulted in an out and after a Sweet Home player reached on an error, Hockema fanned the next batter.
Gallery: PHS softball vs. Sweet Home (May 9, 2024)
A collection of images from Philomath High’s 12-7 softball loss to Sweet Home on Thursday
The Warriors (1-21 overall, 1-12 Oregon West) were one out away from knocking off Sweet Home, a team that was trying to even its record in the league play.
Unfortunately for the home team, Sweet Home’s Jocelyn Fairchild hit a single to center field, two runs scored and the game was tied. Hockema ended the inning with another strikeout.
From there, Sweet Home (9-15, 7-7) erupted for seven runs in the top of the eighth and held on for a 12-7 victory.
“Yeah, we had a couple of miscues there that would’ve gotten us out of it and we would have come away (with a win) but they blew it open in the eighth inning after tying it up,” King said. “But we didn’t give up and that was the big thing — the team held the energy for the most part through the whole game. In the eighth inning, we started to get a little sluggish when we started to get down but once we got up to bat, we had a good part of our lineup coming up and we felt comfortable.”
Philomath, which came out wearing throwback jerseys, took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a two-out, one-run triple by Kaylie Kohler. Then the two teams put up zeroes over the next three innings until the Huskies came up with that three-spot in the fifth.
“The defense clicked and we were making the plays that needed to be made,” King said. “I had the sneaking suspicion — we’d played them twice already — that they were going to bring the bunt game. That’s what they do … they get a runner on and the next person’s bunting. It’s like clockwork for them. For the most part, we made the majority of the plays that needed to be made.”
As a result, players at third base, catcher and pitcher had to be on their toes to field a bunt. As part of the defensive strategy, King held the first baseman back from charging and the shortstop covered third more.
Hockema allowed just four hits through the first four innings and she nearly pitched a complete game, lifted with two outs in the eighth.
Down 3-1 in the sixth, Philomath took the lead by scoring four runs — all with two outs. Hannah Bennett got things started when she reached on an outfield error. Zoee Howard followed with a line drive single to drive in Bennett and cut the deficit to 3-2.
After Haley King was hit by a pitch, Emma May put a ball in play that turned into a Sweet Home error and two more runs scored for a 4-3 Warriors lead. Philomath tacked on another run to the lead on a one-run single by Lilia Leman.
But Sweet Home countered with the two runs in the seventh and then pulled away in the eighth. Philomath scored twice in the bottom of the eighth — the first on a one-run double by Hockema and the second when Janae Traglia scored while Mason reached on an error.
“The batters hit the ball well today, so that was good to see,” King said. “She pitched outside quite a bit and they took the ball the other way a couple of times.”
Philomath spread the hits around the lineup with seven players connecting, including the triple by Kohler and doubles by King and Hockema.
The Warriors will play at noon Saturday in a home makeup game against Stayton. The season finale for Philomath is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Monday at North Marion.
