It is a feat to beat the same team three times, but the Battle Ground Tigers softball squad completed two three-game sweeps of 4A Greater St. Helens League opponents in Camas and Union last week.
The Tigers started the year just 2-8-1 before the height of league play was underway, now they’ve racked up a guaranteed six wins in league with a game to play on Monday, May 12, against Skyview High School, but results were unavailable at press time.
On Tuesday, May 6, the Tigers scored three in the seventh inning on the road against Camas High School to send the game to extra innings. In the ninth, Seyah Lindersmith drove in Lainey McMullen to take an 8-7 lead while pitcher Delyla Gruenberg secured the win in the bottom half of the inning in her six-inning performance.
Back on the dirt at home, the Tigers’ senior night would not be spoiled as they jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the third inning against Union High School on Thursday, May 8. Senior Kristine Brigance launched her first home run of the season to dead-center in the fourth inning to extend the lead 5-1.
“It felt amazing because I’ve been kind of struggling with my game this season, and it felt good to do this on the last game here,” Brigance said, holding her senior night home run ball.
Senior pitcher Mylee Burrows held off the Titans the entire game as she threw a complete game with six strikeouts, no walks, one unearned run and three hits. Burrows said a key to her senior night performance was with her location of pitches. Burrows also helped out on offense with two hits and an RBI.
Helping Burrows with pitch location is senior standout catcher Candice Torgerson. Walking away from home plate for the last time on the home field was a tough but memorable moment for the senior.
“I’ve been the starting catcher for three years now for three amazing pitchers, and so yeah, it definitely hurts, but you know, bigger things ahead,” Torgerson said.
Lindersmith has kept centerfield in lock down for the Tigers and has been a heavy contributor at the plate, after her final home game she said the team has always held a special place in her heart and, “putting everything out on the line that I can for them is just what keeps me going every single time.”
Entering league play, the direction the Tigers would take by the end of the season was certainly unclear with the losing record on paper, but head coach Jeremy Barr and his staff led an effort to bounce back to the brand of softball Battle Ground has been known for with lineup adjustments.
“This is the toughest schedule we’ve ever had from start to finish and the girls have been battling like crazy as we’re trying to figure things out and move kids all over the place to try to find the right gel, the right squad with all the kids in the right places,” he said. “It changes a lot based on matchups and all the kids have stepped up huge somewhere along the line.”
Torgerson said the Tigers started the season “playing for our personal game.”
“And as we’ve gotten to know each other and get more comfortable, we’ve learned that it’s more for the team,” she said. “Play for the team, not for yourself.”
Lindersmith credited a team talk before the final home game for the team’s atmosphere and effort on the field.
“We had a team talk before this and we were saying, ‘you know, just have fun,’” she said. “I mean, it’s senior night, it’s the seniors’ last time, and I think we showed out and played today like a team, and I think that’s what will keep us going for the rest of the season.”
After the conclusion of the regular season on May 12, the Tigers will embark on their District 3/4 tournament journey at the Kent Service Club Ballfields in Kent on Friday, May 16, and Saturday, May 17. As of press time, the seeding results for the tournament have not been announced.
