Tigers split games to move into final round of districts
CALEB PEREZ | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 months AGO
Bailey Falconer from the Tigers steps up to bat in a previous home game this year. Falconer drove in five runs on three hits against Prosser Saturday afternoon.
CALEB PEREZ/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Ephrata’s Sidney Chornuk gets ready to pitch to the opposing batter in a home game earlier in the season.
Ella Piturachsatit from Ephrata runs to second base in a prior home game this season.
Tigers player Brynnie Leonard throws the ball back toward the mound in a previous game this season.
EPHRATA — The Ephrata Tigers (11-13) split their games over the weekend in the district tournament, winning 17-4 over Prosser and falling 4-20 against Selah. The Tigers prepare for one final game of districts to qualify for the district crossover.
“I think the majority of our focus is going to be on communication and just situational softball,” said Tigers Head Coach Lesa Trevino. “Definitely clean defense, at this point in the season, everybody can play. The difference comes down to handling pressure in situations, eliminating mistakes and responding quickly.”
After coming off a tough loss to East Valley in the first round of the tournament last Wednesday, the Tigers entered the next round against Prosser with new energy. In the bottom of first inning Ephrata put up six runs with a single from Ella Piturachsatit scoring a run, a single from Bailey Falconer scoring another run, Piturachsatit scoring after tagging up, Bayleigh French singling for two runs and Cami Martinez singling for a run.
In the second inning, Prosser responded with two runs of their own and the Tigers gained two more runs after Falconer hit a home run to put the game at 8-2. In the bottom of the third Ephrata added another five runs with Piturachsatit drawing a walk for one run, Sidney Chornuk singling for three runs and Hannah Hull drawing a walk for one run.
Ephrata scored four more runs in the bottom of the fourth and Prosser only scored two runs in the top of the fifth to end the game at 17-4.
Falconer was a driving force for the Tigers’ offense as she drove in five runs on three hits against Prosser. Defensively, Haley Trusty pitched all five innings of the game where she allowed two hits, four runs and two walks while striking out seven batters.
“We played aggressively against Prosser, which was exactly what we needed,” said Trevino. “We put pressure on them offensively and early in that game. They competed with confidence and they were just ready to go.”
The game against Selah proved to be much tougher as the opposition put up eight runs in the first inning, adding another seven in the second inning and five runs in the third inning. The Tigers finally got on the board in the top of the fourth with a ground out by Piturachsatit scoring Riley Trusty.
The Tigers worked to rally back in the top of the fifth starting with a double from Regan Shannon scoring Dakota Durfee followed by a double from Martinez to score Shannon and Hannah Hull. Unfortunately, the Tigers were unable to close the gap by the end of the inning and fell 4-20.
Chornuk was first on the pitcher’s mound for Ephrata where she allowed nine hits while throwing two strikeouts. Haley Trusty took over for the final two innings where she allowed five hits while throwing one strikeout.
“Selah played really well, they’re a great team and we just didn’t execute the way that we needed to,” said Trevino. “I think that playing a second game against a fresh team is always difficult, especially in the postseason.”
There were good aspects of the game against Selah that the coach said Ephrata did very well, but ultimately the loss showed the team what they need to work on as they prepare for a win-to-stay-in game against Ellensburg. The main focus of the Tigers moving forward is going to be on staying loose and playing their game.
Trevino said no matter what happens in the tournament from here on, she is very proud of the strides this young team has made.
“Making it this far and making it into the postseason is a huge accomplishment,” she said. “Even with the difficult moments that we have faced this year, these games teach the girls how to handle pressure, how to handle adversity, and the high-level competition helps us build our program for the future.”
The Tigers face off against Ellensburg at Carlon Park on Tuesday at 4 p.m. The winner of that game will head off to the District 1/5 crossover May 16 for one final shot at the state tournament.
BOX SCORES
GAME ONE
PRSS: 0-2-0-0-2: 4
EPHT: 6-2-5-4-x: 17
GAME TWO
EPHT: 0-0-0-1-3: 4
SELA: 8-7-5-0-x: 20
Ephrata’s Sidney Chornuk gets ready to pitch to the opposing batter in a home game earlier in the season.
Ella Piturachsatit from Ephrata runs to second base in a prior home game this season.
Tigers player Brynnie Leonard throws the ball back toward the mound in a previous game this season.ARTICLES BY CALEB PEREZ
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