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Lincoln City
Monday, March 18, 2024

Freshman Tolan sparks top-ranked Taft to softball win

claira Tolan

Freshman shortstop Claira Tolan went 4 for 4, drove in two runs and scored twice Friday as the No. 1-ranked Taft High softball team braved frigid temperatures and occasional rain to rally for a 9-8 home win over North Bend.

“Our freshmen were strong today, both at the plate and on defense,” Taft Coach Sandy Stuart said. “Claira had some key hits and key base-running. It was a great game for her.”

The 13th-rated Bulldogs (3-2, 0-0 Class 4A  Far West Conference) saw their three-game win streak snapped when the Class 3A Tigers of the West Valley League pushed across two seventh-inning runs for their sixth non-league victory without a loss.

Taft Softball

“That was the toughest team we’ve faced so far,” Stuart said. “We were able to keep pushing through all game to get the win.”

Taft, which got two RBIs each from freshman Kyla Knott and sophomore starter Emma Coulter, took advantage of strong baserunning to rally from an 8-7 deficit.

Taft Softball“It was cold and wet, but we worked hard all game and never let up,” Stuart said. “We are still undefeated and still showing strong offense.”

Hailee Dannecker also drove in a run for Taft, while Naom Rini scored twice. The first five hitters in Taft’s batting order all reached safely.

Tolan stole three bases, and Rini and Dannecker two each for Taft.

Maddie Finnigan and pitcher Cheyenne Datan, who struck out 14 and walked eight, homered for North Bend.

Taft returns to action Wednesday in a spring break tournament in Napa, Calif., before starting league play at home Friday, April 6, against Amity.

NOTES: The unbeaten Tigers baseball team (6-0, 1-0 West Valley), ranked second in the latest OSAA Class 3A rankings, had their noon game Saturday at Tillamook moved to the same time Saturday at Taft due to wet playing conditions.  . . .  All-skills practice sessions for Lincoln City Youth League 10-, 12- and 14-and-under softball players will be held Monday, March 26, and Wednesday, March 28, at Kirtsis Park, (K1 Field), N.E. Highway 101 and 22nd Street.

 

Taft 9, North Bend 8

NORTH BEND       AB  R  H BI  

Kaitlin Randle        4  1  2  1

McKenzie Brock        5  2  3  1

Cheyenne Datan        4  1  2  2

Drew Culver           4  0  2  1

Gwen Hogewoning       3  1  0  0

Maddie Finnigan       4  1  1  1

Hannah Robison        3  1  1  0

Charlee Lincoln       4  0  0  1

Skylar Lucas          3  0  0  0

*Haley Snelgrove      0  1  0  0

TOTALS               34  8 11 7

TAFT TIGERS      AB  R  H BI

Kyla  Knott           2  1  1  2

Makena Cole          3  1  1  0

Naomi  Rini           2  2  1  0

Hailee  Dannecker     4  1  1  1

Emma Coulter          4  0  1  2

Alyssa  Tanksley      2  1  0  0

Claira Tolan          4  2  4  2

Kayla Lininger        2  1  0  0

Madison  Clanton      3  0  0  0

Lilly Salsbery       1  0  0  0

TOTALS           27  9  9  7                   

NORTH BEND                    101 022 2 — 8 

TAFT TIGERS                   000 133 2 — 9 

LOB–NORTH BEND 9, TAFT 8. ERR–Drew Culver, Kaitlin Randle, Kayla Lininger, Makena Cole, Hailee  Dannecker, Claira Tolan. 2B–McKenzie Brock (2), Cheyenne Datan, Kaitlin Randle. 3B–McKenzie Brock. HR–Maddie Finnigan, Cheyenne Datan. HBP–Kyla  Knott. SACB–Naomi  Rini. SB–Hannah Robison (2), Naomi  Rini (2), Kayla Lininger, Hailee  Dannecker (2), Alyssa  Tanksley, Claira Tolan (3).

NORTH BEND                    IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR

Cheyenne Datan           6.67    9    9    6    8   14    0

TAFT          

Emma Coulter                   7.00   11    8    8    4    7    2

PB–Maddie Finnigan (2). WP–Cheyenne Datan, Emma Coulter. BB–Skylar Lucas, Hannah Robison, Gwen Hogewoning, Kaitlin Randle, Naomi Rini, Kyla  Knott (2), Kayla Lininger (2), Makena Cole, Alyssa  Tanksley (2).

Click here for Class 3A West Valley League standings

Click here for Class 3A OSAA rankings

Click here for Taft team roster and schedule

Click here for North Bend team roster and schedule

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Jim Fossum
Jim Fossumhttp://SilverandBlackToday.com
Homepage Executive Editor and former longtime Sports Editor of the near-200,000 circulation Las Vegas Review-Journal, Fossum brings 40 years of award-winning experience covering virtually every facet of print and digital journalism to Lincoln City Homepage. The former longtime reporter for the Newport News-Times and Lincoln City News Guard is also Editor-in-Chief and Senior Columnist for SilverandBlackToday.com, which covers the NFL's Oakland (Las Vegas) Raiders.

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