Saints ride six-game win streak into league play

Last Sunday, the Saints softball team extended its win streak to six, winning both games of a doubleheader with Pierce College.

The Saints hoped to add to their total on Thursday, with a make-up doubleheader against Clackamas Community College, rescheduled after a rainout on Tuesday.

The Clackamas games kicked off the regular season, after the Saints finished their preseason schedule with a 12-2 record.

Mt. Hood began the two-game home sweep of Pierce College with a 9-1 victory. The Saints jumped ahead early, scoring four runs through two innings. In the third inning, the Raiders were able to muster up their only run of the game. In the fifth inning, the Saints ran away with the game, scoring five of their nine runs.

Offensively the Saints found production from sophomores SheaLee Lindsey, Mercedes Green, Chelsea Spanier.

Lindsey finished with three hits and an RBI in four at-bats, while Green added a hit and two RBIs in three at-bats. Spanier knocked two hits and an RBI in three at-bats.

Freshman pitcher Kelly Scott played an integral role in the victory, allowing only two hits and retiring seven batters in just five innings of play.

Game Two had similar results as the Saints won, 8-3. Tied 3-3 in the third inning, Mt. Hood began to find a rhythm and finished the game on a 5-0 run.

Lindsey provided three hits and an RBI in four at-bats. Spanier recorded three RBIs and a hit, and freshman Rachel Ruthledge added two hits in three at-bats.

Pitcher Kendal Cox continued her successful freshman season, picking up her sixth win of the season. She struck out five batters in seven innings.

Head coach Meadow McWhorter gave her thoughts on the Saints’ win streak.

“They have worked to get better every single game and one of the things that we really enjoy about preseason is it exposes some of the things we need to work on,” she said.

“It’s been nice to play a doubleheader, go back to the drawing board and figure out what we need to work on based on the results we had in the game. Wins are great, but I’m always looking for the improvement regardless who our opponent is,” she said.

The Saints have been effective offensively as of late, hitting well as a team. McWhorter discussed the challenge due next, that is the South Region.

“It’s going to be a really good test for us, heading into conference. We have such incredible pitching in the South. I’ve been very pleased with our hitters, who are making adjustments earlier in games versus making the adjustments in the second game of the doubleheader.”

The Saints batters are “communicating really well with one another on what pitchers have before they go up to the plate and they just know that we need to generate runs in order to get W’s,” McWhorter added. “They’ve done really well with that.”

The strong hitting has overshadowed what the Saints are accomplishing on the defensive end. In their last five games (through Sunday), the Saints had allowed eights runs total.  A lot of that is thanks to strong play from the freshman pitchers, Scott and Cox.

Following a somewhat rocky start, the pair has blossomed under McWhorter’s guidance, combining for 11 wins and 86 strikeouts.

“Those two are taking direction really well and getting confident in the circle. They’re really making sure they put in 100 percent effort into every pitch they throw,” McWhorter said. “They’re learning really quickly that if you take a pitch off against a good hitter, they’ll capitalize on that.”

The challenge has ramped up, with the start of South region play, the coach said. “They are really going to get tested here because they are going to be playing teams that are equal to us. I have a lot of confidence in them,” she said.

The Saints began league play Thursday afternoon against rival Clackamas, the team they faced and beat in last year’s NWAC title game.

The nigthtcap was played after the Advocate’s press deadline, but results for both games will be posted on the Advocate’s Twitter page.

Weather permitting, Mt. Hood is then scheduled to play doubleheaders at Southwestern Oregon Community College in Coos Bay on Saturday and at Lane Community College in Eugene on Wednesday.

The Saints are looking beyond the win streak, toward the heart of their schedule.

“Our team never focuses on the fact that we’ve won,” said Cox. “It’s ‘Who’s next?’ ”