Softball drops two games, still leads region

The Saints’ softball team started its season hot in early March and hasn’t cooled off yet, with a 17-2 record and leading the Southern Region.

“We are pleased with the start of our season. The team has worked hard all year and they continue to work hard,” said head coach Meadow McWhorter.

Southwestern Oregon Community College and Lower Columbia Community College are each three games behind MHCC in the region. Wenatchee Valley has the best overall record in the NWAACC, at 18-2.

“Wenatchee is always tough. They have a quality program,” said McWhorter.

Over the spring break, the Saints went 7-2, losing their first game of the season 2-1 to Bellevue Community College. The team had one hit the whole game and scored their only run on a passed ball. Sophomore Maycee Abendschein had the team’s only hit in the top of the fourth, hitting a single.

Freshmen pitcher Ann-Marie Guischer finished the game with 12 strikeouts but gave up two runs in the sixth inning to end the game. Guischer had been consistent so far this season with a 1.01 ERA and only giving up 26 hits in nine games. She has a 5-2 record at this point.

“The losses have definitely exposed some of the things we need to work on. Losses are lessons. We use them to get better,” said McWhorter

The team played their first two home games March 28 against Centralia Community College and won both with ease.

“Playing at home is always a bonus because of our incredible fans,” said McWhorter.

On Tuesday, the team traveled to Coos Bay to play Southwestern and suffered its second loss of the season — but managed to come back to win the second game of the doubleheader games.

In the first game, a 3-2 loss, the Saints struggled with their hitting and ended with just five hits while Southwestern had nine. (In contrast, during the double-header with Centralia, MHCC pounded 14 and 12 hits in the two games.) It was close throughout. After SWOCC scored in the fifth inning to take a 2-1 lead, the Saints answered by scoring once in the sixth, but SWOCC scored again in bottom of the sixth to seal the victory.

McWhorter said her team’s mentality is to go day-by-day on what it needs to accomplish. “One day at a time, we control what we can control,” said McWhorter. “We need to continue to focus on the little things.”

On Saturday, the Lady Saints take on Clark Community College in a home doubleheader starting at noon.

Clark is 1-7 and holds the worst record in the Southern Region. But McWhorter warns against a letdown.

“Once you enter league (play), every game is a challenge. We treat every opponent with the same respect, intensity and preparation,” she said.