High School Softball: Clatskanie walks off Combo Christian to reach State semis
PHOTO GALLERY – Tigers answer every challenge, again, slide by North Clackamas-Country Christian to claim 5-4 win in OSAA State quarterfinals
Skyler Smith for blastzonemedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com
OSAA Prep Softball / State Report
CLATSKANIE – The Clatskanie softball team erased two deficits Friday afternoon and saved its best answer for last, as Joey Sizemore’s walk-off RBI infield single in the bottom of the seventh inning secured a 5-4 victory over North Clackamas-Country Christian in the OSAA 2A state quarterfinals in front of one of the largest crowds to watch a Clatskanie softball game in recent memory.
It was the second straight postseason game in which the Tigers celebrated a walk-off winner on their home field. Just 48 hours after Kaden Byrum delivered a two-run walk-off home run to eliminate No. 9 ranked Monroe-Alsea in the opening round of the state tournament, Clatskanie once again found a way to survive and advance.
“We’ve been preparing for this all year,” Clatskanie head coach Teauna Hughes said. “We try and do pressure situations during practices, but I’m more on the mentality side of the game. We just really try to perfect the little things.”
That mentality was tested more than once Friday evening, and each time the hometown Tigers found an answer.
“When stuff happens, there’s nothing you can do about it,” Sizemore said. “All I can think about is next pitch. Just moving on because you can’t do anything about the last one.”
The dramatic finish was familiar territory for a Tigers team that has made a habit of responding under pressure during its postseason run.
The win sends the Tigers into the OSAA 2A state semifinals, where they will travel to play No. 4 Heppner/Ione on Tuesday.
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