By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
GERVAIS, Ore.– It was one final test before the real work begins, and the push for the 2A/1A postseason begins.
Toledo came into Monday’s game not being in too many dogfights this Spring. Matter of fact, their 9-7 victory over the Cougars on this day was only just their third game that was decided by less than ten runs.
And at one point, the Boomers were down 6-4 to Gervais before a five-run sixth inning left push the Toledo squad back ahead for the first time since they led 3-2 back going into the bottom half of the second inning.
“I just told the girls that you have to settle in that box, see that ball, hit it off your bat, and just rattle them a little bit. They rattle us, and now it’s our turn to give it a little back. Getting those three triples in that inning was just crucial for this win and coming from the bottom of my lineup, it was so needed,” said Boomer Head Coach Mikayla Retherford.
The sixth inning for Gervais has been their weakness this season. Santiam up in Mill City on April 18, Regis in Stayton on May 16, and again on Monday swung momentum into the favor of their opposition late.
On this day, however, they were able to limit the damage, and with the top of their lineup, they were able to put the pressure back on Toledo to make them earn the win in Gervais.
With two outs on the board, the Cougars made their move. Addy McCargar doubled, Camryn Rutledge drew a walk, and Exy Wurdinger drove in a run off a Fielder’s Choice. And now, in a 9-7 ball game with two on and the possible game-winning run at the plate, the pressure was on.
“It was a really good softball game. They’re a good team and I was expecting that today and I thought we competed really well, we had a couple of hiccups there in the sixth and that was the difference in the game right there,” said Gervais Head Coach Lindsay McCargar. “The whole day and the end of the game there too is big for tomorrow. We have a lot to play for. We got to go up to Santiam, and we got to go up there with the same intensity as we did today.
“We got to take every game as a playoff game from here on out, and we’re trying to get ourselves into the tournament. I believe that these girls can do it, but we got to keep that momentum, and we got to keep that energy.”
In a way, this non-league game felt like a playoff game. And good thing too because Gervais will head to Mill City Tuesday with the aspirations to play their way into the 2A/1A Playoffs when they take on Culver at 2pm. The winner of that game plays Santiam for the last Automatic Qualifier out of the 2A/1A Special District 3 conference. Now, it’s just a matter of taking care of business.
“We’re really focused on Game 1 right now. Culver has had a really great second half of the season, and I don’t take them lightly at all. Those girls are going to be after us because they have a lot to play for, too. Certainly, we’ll like to earn the right to another chance at Santiam, and we’ll see how the game plays out,” said McCargar.
For the Boomers, a game like this. A dogfight and to know that they can close out a tight game will help them a lot as they wait for their first playoff game after winning the 2A/1A Special District 4 Conference Title this season.
“That’s good because that’s what you’re going to see at State. They’re not going to be easy games. You’re going to go in and work hard. You’re going to work through that pressure, and it just shows character,” said Retherford. “So for those girls to get that grit and really dig deep to pull it through, it was nice.”
By Jeremy McDonald
