In a bounce-back performance, the Prairie softball team’s patience at the plate paid off in a big way.
All three of the Falcons’ hits in the first inning of Tuesday’s 3A Greater St. Helens League game against Heritage came on two-strike counts, including Payton Miller’s two-out triple to the corner in right field to drive in a pair of runs.
On the heels of a quiet hitting day in last week’s 3-2 loss to Kelso, the tone-setting inning helped the Falcons (9-2, 1-1) soar for a 5-1 win over the Timberwolves.
“It really felt good,” Miller said. “Coming back from an 0-2 (count), shortening up my swing to get that triple, score a couple runs for our pitcher and put us in the lead for the rest of the game.”
All-Region Sports Awards Ceremony
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The event will be 6-8 p.m. Admission is $15 and includes food and drink.
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Prairie starting pitcher Mackenzie Moore posted 10 strikeouts and held Heritage without a hit over the final six innings. The junior Portland State commit quickly settled in after giving up an RBI base hit to Heritage’s Kylie Thomas in the opening frame.
The Falcons’ three runs early runs certainly helped. So, too, did striking out the Heritage side in the second. Then, Moore followed with a solo home run, swinging on the first pitch, in the bottom half of the inning to put Prairie ahead 4-1.
“I had a good inning prior — three up, three down with, I think it was three strikeouts,” Moore said. “Definitely feeling good, and then I knew (Heritage pitcher Jaila Ellis) was going to attack me first pitch inside. So, I was ready for it.”
Whether it starts at the plate or in the circle, Moore leans into that momentum with one good thing often leading to another.
This season, the junior stepped in as Prairie’s top pitcher after reigning 3A GSHL pitcher of the year Rylee Wall graduated last year. With Tuesday’s win, Moore has an 8-0 record and a 1.79 earned-run average in 62 innings pitched.
“I knew that this year was going to be a big year for me,” Moore said. “I worked a lot throughout the summer with different pitching coaches … and that definitely helped a lot.”
The same can be said for the Falcons’ team as a whole. A veteran squad that returned the majority of its lineup, including fellow all-leaguers Payton Blunt and Kayla Scholl, Prairie is eager to build on last year’s run to a 3A bi-district title and an appearance in the 3A state tournament.
The Falcons don’t have to go far to get quality tests. Kelso (8-5, 2-0) stands alone atop the 3A GSHL standings and Heritage (6-5, 2-1) remains a threat with three straight state tournament appearances.
“We have so much camaraderie,” Miller said, “and our team has really (come) together to get these wins and have that early preseason success. I think we’re ready to do super well in the postseason — building up.”
PRAIRIE 5, HERITAGE 1
Heritage 100 000 0—1 2 5
Prairie 310 100 x—5 7 1
Heritage
Pitching — Jaila Ellis 6 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 5 K, 0 BB, loss. Highlights — Skyler Jones 1-3, run; Kylie Thomas 1-3, RBI; Gracie Peterson BB; Emma Messing BB.
Prairie
Pitching — Mackenzie Moore 7 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 10 K, 2 BB, win. Highlights — Mackenzie Moore 2-4, 2 runs, 2B, HR, RBI; Carlie Palmer RBI; Ashlee Porter 1-3, run; Payton Miller 2-3, 3B, 2 RBI; Kellie Cady 2-3, run, 2B.
