By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
EUGENE, Ore.–After years of heartbreak. Years of having State Championship winning programs, the Scio Softball team put to bed the Scio Curse.
The result was the one they’ve been looking forward to for years that they finally achieved:
State Champions. For the first time ever.
There was a sense, as they came out for the game and opened a 7-1 lead going into the fourth inning, that this was going to be the day in which they were going to make it happen.
“Going into this game initially, before we even got to the game, we were just calmer,” said Myleigh Cooper.
Cooper had to dig in herself. In the bottom half of the third inning, the Senior took a Rachel Baumholtz pitch to the wrist.
After being checked out, she took her base and continued to pitch. Cooper knew that her place was out there with her team, trying to help them win this ballgame and not in the dugout.
“It was huge for our team. I shed some tears, and it hurt really bad,” laughed Cooper. “My mindset going into it was no matter how much it hurts, it was not an option in my mind, not pitch or not to hit.
“So me going back out there was a good visual for my team that I’m out here with them no matter what.”
Dayton made things interesting going into the bottom half of the fifth inning. Scio knew that the Pirates weren’t going into the night quietly as they drew the game closer at 7-3.
Lillie Brooks drove in a run in the top half of the third inning, and Baumholtz drove in two off a triple in the top of the fourth inning to turn the pressure up on the Loggers.
This was Dayton’s first State Title appearance since 2019 when they face Clatskanie, and for their young core this year, it’s not going to be a surprise to possibly see the Pirates back here again over the course of the next few years.
“They executed the gameplan. We used our pitchers effectively. Today, we had a few miscues, and we didn’t get the timely hits we needed ,” said Dayton Head Coach Frank Baumholtz. “We did a in a couple of innings, but top-to-bottom that was the difference.
“All year, we said ‘Make It Count’, and we did. We didn’t win the State Title this year, but the girls did all we could ask of them, and I’m proud of them for that. It was a good season.”
Dayton returns their whole infield, plus their whole pitching staff. Gabby Chupp, Rachel Baumholtz, and Charly Upmeyer combined for seven strikeouts in the game as each pitcher saw action as the Pirates finish the year 26-4.
Faced with the challenge, the Loggers clutched up. This would end up being the year that they will bring home a State Title.
They started with a sixth inning shutout defensively in the top half, Cam Dalke drove two home in the bottom of the sixth before Scio closed it out in the seventh for the 9-3 victory.
“Top ten moments in my life probably, ” said Dalke. “Being here and losing twice takes a toll, so coming here…it was great.
“Being an upperclassmen now and seeing my freshman do the work they put in is great.”
For Scio Head Coach Jim Mask, he’s been a part of several Logger State Title Teams through his time at Scio. He was part of the Logger Staye Championship winning team in Wrestling as an athlete in 1982 as well as being a coach on the Football State Title teams, but this particular win, it’s a special moment for him.
“It’s cool to be back at the school I was at. We won a State Title in Wrestling, we won a couple in football when I was coaching football, but this one is a special one,” Mask starts. “It’s been a long time coming. We’ve had so many closed calls.
“Ashton (Zeiher), one of my assistant coaches, was on a team that went to four-straight Semifinals and couldn’t quite get there. Then we went to Semifinals with this team as freshman and two Finals, and to finally get over the hump, it’s a huge deal. They’ve put in so much work and I’m so happy for them.”
The Loggers finished the year 28-1. Cooper struck out eight batters while Dalke drove in three runs, and Meagan Trissel drove in two for the Loggers.
Brooks led the Pirates offense with two hits, and Rachel Baumholtz drove in a team-high two runs
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
