Viking seniors: Special plans, memories
It was Senior Night on Tuesday at the Siuslaw High School softball field, and there was no problem seeing the emcee.
It was 6-foot-9 athletic director Jeromy Graybill.
Nor was there a problem seeing the Siuslaw seniors.
They were the young ladies with big grins in Vikings uniforms, holding buckets of gifts and floating balloons along the third-base line.
Tuesday was the final game in that uniform for Anna Stonelake, Nicole Gordon, Hannah Bartlett, Anna Petras and Taylor Dotson.
Graybill first introduced the South Umpqua seniors, one by one, and each was given a flower at home plate by a Viking player.
Then the Viking seniors were introduced as Graybill shared their future plans, their favorite softball memory and their advice to players returning next season.
Future plans
Stonelake: Study medical imaging in community college, then continue her education at OIT to be an ultrasound tech.
Gordon: Attend college in Salem at OIT to get a degree in dental hygiene.
Bartlett: Attend George Fox University and major in athletic training and exercise science (with the goal of Doctor of Physical Therapy).
Petras: Attend and play softball at Southwestern Community College. (She also has expressed interest in one day being a veterinarian.)
Dotson: Attend Lane Community College in Eugene to work toward a nursing degree.
Favorite softball memory
Stonelake: Too many favorite memories to pick just one.
Gordon: The Brookings trip.
Bartlett: The game at Brookings where I played really well and had a great catch. Plus, the bus ride home when (coach Sean) O'Mara told stories.
Petras: Being invited on the leadership retreat, and coach O'Mara encouraging me to play college ball.
Dotson: The North Marion tournament my freshman year. Getting my own bed and only having to share a room with Andi. Making long-lasting relationships with the girls from my team.
Advice for returning softball athletes
Stonelake: Make the most of failure. Don't let one mistake keep you from playing to your potential. Learn from it. Don't take any practice, game ride, teammate, coach, hit ball or at bat for granted. Be in the moment and play for the love of the game.
Gordon: The hard times are worth it in the end. Never give up.
Bartlett: Softball is a game that gives you a lot of time to get in your head about mistakes you've made. You'll play so much better if you shake it off and learn from them. Remember to enjoy the game and your time on the team.
Petras: Confidence justifies the outcomes. Believe in your ability and walk on the field knowing you belong there. View your mistakes as opportunities to get better, not as failures. Just make sure that when you set down your bat and mitt for the last time, you won't regret a thing.
Dotson: Enjoy the people you play with. They will always be a friend you can rely on. Don't burn the bridge now by being snappy with each other.
SIUSLAW 4, SOUTH UMPQUA 1
Tuesday was Senior Night for the Siuslaw Vikings softball team, and it was the juniors who came through to spark a 4-1 Far West League victory over South Umpqua in the season finale at the Siuslaw High School field.
Prior to the game, the team saluted its seniors.
Then the team went about the task of winning to finish on a high note, 4-11 in league and 7-15 overall and ranked just outside a state playoff spot at No. 27.
League-champion North Bend (ranked No. 7), runnerup Marshfield (9), South Umpqua (16) and North Bend (20) likely are all headed to postseason play..
Tuesday's win was very much in doubt until the bottom of the sixth inning, when the Vikings bunched all their runs after being shut out and no-hit through five innings by Lancers freshman Tayah Kelley.
Winning pitcher Heidi Jones got the rally going with a one-out double down the right-field line, scooting to third on a called ball four on catcher Nikki Launius.
Jones scored the tying run on a wild pitch and Launius the go-ahead run on an RBI single by first baseman Claire Waggoner.
Jones, Launius and Waggoner are all juniors.
The Vikings padded their lead on an RBI single by Petras, who later came around to score on a wild pitch to make it 4-1.
South Umpqua broke open a pitchers' duel in the top of the fifth. Junior second baseman Caitlyn Telford, batting in the No. 8 slot, doubled to the left-center gap to lead off the inning, and scored three batters later on an infield single by junior centerfielder Emma Lind.
For the Vikings, Jones was 1-for-2 with a double and a run scored and two stolen bases, while Waggoner and Petras were each 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.
Jones struck out 4, walked 2 and scattered 9 hits.
Kelley struck out 5 and walked 4. She gave up 5 hits, all in the sixth inning when the Vikings sent 8 batters to the plate.
NOTES
The Vikings also saluted the South Umpqua seniors: Chanel Stewart, Ella Botts, Samantha Lydick, Alexis Westbrooks, Jenaka Black and Emilee Mueller.
LINESCORE
Tuesday, May 10, at Siuslaw High School
SOUTH UMPQUA 000 010 0 — 1 9 0
SIUSLAW 000 004 X — 4 5 2
Winning pitcher — Heidi Jones. Losing pitcher — Tayah Kelley.
IMAGE GALLERY
