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Pirates win third straight state title
For the second straight year the Prairie Lady Pirates had a close call in their state opener and then beat Genesee twice to win the state title. With a 6-4 win on Saturday, May 16, they secured their third straight state A-1 Softball championship at Lewiston’s Airport Park. 
Greenleaf put single runs on the board in the first and third innings, both runs scored by hitters who had a triple. Greenleaf pitcher Taylor Myers led off for the Grizzlies with a rocket to right field that got past Leora Laurino for a triple. She scored on an attempted pickoff play. In the third inning Greenleaf got a 1-out triple from Katie Morse and she scored on the next hitter’s sacrifice fly to center. Prairie meanwhile had trouble with Myers’ rise ball as they either popped the ball up or beat it into the ground whenever they made contact. Rachel Kaschmitter finally broke through with Prairie’s first hit in the top of the sixth inning, a single up the middle. Megan Sigler followed with a single to left and Alena Hoene walked to load the bases with only 1 out. A pop-up to third and a strikeout got Greenleaf out of the inning. Finally, in the top of the seventh Prairie put together a scoring rally with a little help from Greenleaf’s defense. Kendra Dinning beat out an infield single to lead off the inning. Laurino then struck out but strike 3 hit the dirt allowing Dinning to go to second. Laurino beat the throw to first but was automatically out as first base was occupied with less than 2 out. Amber Holthaus popped out to third and Prairie was down to their final out. Kara Guyer lifted a high fly ball deep to center and the Greenleaf centerfielder settled under where she thought the ball was coming down. Unfortunately for her she needed to take one more step back as the ball grazed the top of her glove and fell behind her for a 2-base error with Dinning scoring on what should’ve been the game-ending out. Kaschmitter then grounded to third but reached on an error as the first baseman dropped the throw. Sigler then hit a grounder that got past the pitcher and reached first before anyone else could field the ball with Guyer scoring the tying run on the play. Kaschmitter went to third on the play but a strikeout ended the inning. Greenleaf still had a chance to win the game in regulation and Prairie’s 6th error of the game put the leadoff batter at first. The next hitter connected on a hard line drive but it went right to Holthaus at second and she doubled off the runner at first. The next batter then grounded out to Holthaus to send the game into extra innings. Greenleaf’s only 2 errors of the game came in the seventh inning. In fast pitch softball when you go extra innings the hitter who made the last out in the ninth starts the inning at second base so Hoene began the top of the 8th on second. Leadoff hitter Hilaree VanderPas crushed the first pitch she saw deep to the fence in left field for a run scoring double that gave Prairie a 3-2 lead. Camille Schumacher went in to pinch run and got to third on a wild pitch but the rally died there. In the bottom of the 8th, also with a runner starting on second, the first batter grounded out to Holthaus to move the runner to third. Pitcher Sammi Frei, who came on in relief of starter Megan Sigler in the fifth inning, then struck out the next two batters to end the game. Sigler gave up 3 hits and 2 runs in her 4 innings of work with 2 walks and 1 strikeout and did a great job pitching around her defense’s mistakes as the 4 errors when she was pitching resulted in only 1 run scoring. Frei gave up an infield hit to the first batter she faced and then shut down Greenleaf the rest of the way. She hit one batter and struck out 7 with the only runner getting past second base being the runner who was placed there to start the 8th. Prairie had 5 hits, all in the final 3 innings. Sigler had a pair of singles and an RBI while VanderPas had a double and an RBI. Kaschmitter and Dinning each had a single. Prairie 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1—3 5 5 Greenleaf 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0—2 4 2  Prairie
got to Genesee pitcher Cyd Blevins for two runs in the bottom of the first
inning to take the lead. Laurino walked to lead off the inning and went
to second on a passed ball. After an out, Guyer singled through the left
side to score Laurino and went to second when the throw went toward home
plate. Kaschmitter followed with a single up the middle to score Guyer
and make it 2-0.
Genesee came right back in the top of the third with a double and 2 singles to tie the game at 2-2. The rest of the game was pitching and defense as both teams had baserunners but couldn’t seem to bring them around to score. Frei got out of a 2 on and 1 out jam in the fourth and a bases loaded and 2 out jam in the fifth after getting the first two hitters out. Prairie took the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Kaschmitter hit a shot to right field that went out of play for a ground rule double. She went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Hoene’s single up the middle. In the top of the sixth Frei quickly got an out but then hit the next batter. After a second out, she gave up a walk. A wild pitch looked to move up the runners but catcher Guyer quickly got to the ball and threw out the runner trying to advance from second to third to end the inning. Frei had to face the 2-4 hitters in the lineup in the top of the seventh but got the side out in order to preserve the win and put Prairie into the championship game. Frei wound up allowing just 4 hits in the game, 3 of those in the 2-run second. She walked 2, hit 2 and struck out 6. Prairie had 7 hits in the game with Kaschmitter having a double and single and an RBI, Guyer 2 singles and an RBI, Hoene a single and an RBI and VanderPas and Meaghan Bruner a single each. Each side committed just 1 error each. Genesee 0 2 0 0 0 0 0—2 4 1 Prairie 2 0 0 0 1 0 x—3 7 1 Both pitchers put zeroes on the board for the first 3 innings as Prairie had just 2 hits and 4 total baserunners while Genesee had 3 singles and 4 total baserunners. In the top of the fourth (home team was determined by coin flip after the opening round games) Sigler led off with a 
triple down the right field line. Hoene walked and VanderPas was intentionally
walked to load the bases with nobody out. Haleigh Schmidt then hit a hard
liner right to the first baseman who went over to first to double off Dinning
who had gone in to pinch run for VanderPas. When the first baseman tossed
the ball back to the pitcher, Sigler took off for home and scored when
the throw home pulled the catcher away from the plate.
In the bottom of the fourth Frei walked 2 and hit one batter but Genesee didn’t get anyone past second base as Guyer threw out one batter attempting to steal and a pop-up and groundout, both to Holthaus at second got Prairie out of the inning. Prairie added another un in the top of the fifth when Guyer hit a hard grounder right through Genesee’s normally gold glove caliber shortstop Brooke Dahmen. Kaschmitter followed with a double to the fence in left center to score Guyer. Sigler looked to hit the ball in the same direction as her triple but didn’t hit it high enough to get past the first baseman who caught the ball and then doubled Kaschmitter off second to kill the rally. Genesee finally got to Frei in the bottom of the fifth. Their first four batters all reached base on a leadoff walk, 2 singles and another walk. The second single drove in Genesee’s first run and an errant pickoff throw allowed the tying run to score. In the top of the seventh Holthaus led off the inning with a walk and Guyer singled up the middle. Kaschmitter beat out an infield hit to load the bases. Sigler then hit a deep fly ball to left to score Holthaus with the go-ahead run. Hoene walked to again load the bases for VanderPas. Vanderpas worked the count to 3-1 and then smashed the ball down the left field line. It was hit so hard it got past both the third baseman and left fielder before they could get a glove on it. VanderPas wound up with a 3-run double to give Prairie a 6-2 lead. Those 3 extra runs turned out to be important as Genesee had the middle of their order due up in the bottom of the inning. Genesee got an infield hit, a double and a 2-run single out of their 2-3-4 hitters to close the gap to 2 runs but a fly ball out to left, groundout to second and fly ball out to right ended the game Prairie had 9 hits in the game as Guyer had a triple and 2 singles to lead the way. Kaschmitter had a single, double and RBI. Sigler and a triple and an RBI. VanderPass had a double and 3 RBI and Laurino and Bruner each had a single. Frei gave up 7 hits while walking 4 and hitting 2 batters. She struck out 3. Prairie ends the season with a 22-4 record and third straight state championship in their fifth straight 1-A championship game appearance. The senior class posted a 93-12 record over their 4 years and could’ve had 4 straight championships but for a loss to current head coach Jeff Martin’s Culdesac squad in the 2006 championship game. Notable hitters for the tournament were Guyer at 5 for 9, .556; Kaschmitter 5 for 10, .500; Sigler, 3 for 10, .300; VanderPas, 3 for 10, .300 and Bruner 2-4, .500. Prairie 0 0 0 1 1 0 4—6 9 1 Genesee 0 0 0 0 2 0 2—4 7 0
The team with the state championship trophy, banner and bracket. Kneeling front from left are Haleigh Schmidt, Alena Hoene, Meaghan Bruner, Sammi Frei, Amber Holthaus, Kendra Dinning, Megan Sigler and Sheri Schumacher. Middle from left are assistant coaches Steve Wilson and Krystal Ellis, Emily Lerandeau, Leora Laurino, Camille Schumacher, Samantha Spencer, Mariah Evans and Kara Guyer. In back are Hilaree VanderPas and Rachel Kaschmitter holding the state banner and head coach Jeff Martin. Prairie Softball 2009 March 17th Away Orofino (V &JV) 4:30, lost 5-13 March 19th Away C.V. (V& JV) 4:00, won 24-0 March 21st Away Timberline (2) (Lewiston) 11 a.m. won 13-0 and 17-1 March 23rd Away Lapwai (V&JV) 4:00, won 20-3 April 7th Home Grangeville (V&JV) 4:00, won 14-4 April 9th Home Lapwai (V&JV) 4:00, won 17-2 April 14th Away Genesee (2) (Lewiston) 4:30, lost first game 5-15, won second game 18-11 April 16th Home Kendrick (2) 4:00, won 11-0 and 23-5 April 17th Home C.V. (V&JV) 4:30, won 27-1 April 20th Away Troy (2) (Lewiston) 4:30, won 17-6 and 13-12 April 21st Home Kamiah(V&JV) 4:30, won 14-4, details next week April 23rd Away Grangeville (V&JV) 4:00, won 10-0 April 24th Home Lewis Co.(V&JV) 4:30, won 11-3 April 27th Away St. Maries(Lewiston) 4:30, lost 9-17 April 28th Home Orofino (V&JV) 4:30, cancelled due to rain April 30th Away Lewis Co. 4:30, won 11-0 May 2nd, 5th, & 7th District Tournament Cottonwood beat C.V. 20-1, beat Troy 16-1, lost to Genesee 2-10, beat Troy 12-2, 2nd place at District May 15th & 16th State Tournament Lewiston Airport Park, Beat Greenleaf 3-2, beat Genesee 3-2, beat Genesee 6-4 for state title. |
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