The schedule maker had this one nailed from the start.
Fourth-ranked Taft (16-7, 8-1) will square off at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday against second-ranked Dayton (16-7, 7-1) on the road in a showdown of West Valley League frontrunners following a 9-0 conference win Tuesday at Willamina.
At stake in the league finale could be the conference championship and seeding priority in the playoffs.
“We played a great defensive game today,” said Taft coach Sandy Stuart, whose Tigers allowed no runs, walked none and committed no errors. “We played together and communicated well.”
Taft senior sophomore starting pitcher Emma Coulter helped her own cause with three RBIs, and senior third baseman Naomi Rini and senior center fielder Alyssa Tanksley had a team-leading two hits each against the Bulldogs (3-17, 1-8).
“We tend to struggle a little with slower pitching, so we did not have a big day at the plate, but we still had some solid hits and were aggressive in the box and on the bases,” Stuart said.
Freshman Kyla Knott, sophomore Hailee Danneker and Coulter scored twice each for Taft, which tallied four runs in the top of the first to jump on Willamina starter Jami Grandy early.
Sophomore Corey VanDamme, Rini and Tanksley also scored for Taft. Senior McKenzie Evenson, freshman Kayla Lininger and Tanksley drove home a run each for the Tigers.
Tanksley and Coulter both doubled for Taft, which scored three times in the top of the sixth inning after adding to a 4-0 lead with a run in the fourth and the fifth.
“We look towards tomorrow,” Stuart said.
Dayton, a perennial power in West Valley play, are coming off a 5-1 loss Monday at third-ranked Rainer (14-4, 7-1 3A Lewis & Clark). Taft defeated Dayton 4-2 at home on April 20.
“We need to be able to play as a team for a full seven innings,” Stuart said. “I have full confidence in this team. They are a great bunch of athletes.”
The Tigers conclude the regular season with two games next week – at 3:45 p.m. Monday at home against Yamhill-Carlton (10-11, 7-6 4A Oregon West) and at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at No. 1-ranked Scio (20-2, 10-0 3A PacWest).
TAFT 9, WILLAMINA 0
TAFT AB R H BI
Kyla Knott 2 2 1 0
Naomi Rini 5 1 2 0
Hailee Danneker 5 2 0 0
Emma Coulter 3 2 1 3
Claira Tolan 2 0 0 0
Makena Cole 2 0 1 0
McKenzie Evenson 1 0 0 1
Caitlyn Rundstrom 1 0 0 0
Madison Clanton 1 0 0 0
Alyssa Tanksley 4 1 2 1
Corey VanDamme 2 1 1 0
Kayla Lininger 4 0 0 1
TOTALS 32 9 8 6
WILLAMINA AB R H BI
Katrina Graham 3 0 0 0
Taryn Hunt 3 0 0 0
McCayla Tuck 3 0 0 0
Amelia Mooney 3 0 0 0
Andrea Otter 3 0 1 0
Amarisa Mooney 2 0 0 0
Andrea Otter 3 0 1 0
Amarisa Mooney 2 0 0 0
Jami Grandy 2 0 0 0
Jessica Nolen 2 0 1 0
Emma Shrabel 2 0 0 0
TOTALS 23 0 2 0
TAFT 400 113 0 — 9
WILLAMINA 000 000 0 — 0
LOB–TAFT TIGERS 9, WILLAMINA 2. ERR–Andrea Otter, Amelia Mooney (2), Katrina Graham (2). 2B–Alyssa Tanksley, Emma Coulter. HBP–Kyla Knott. SACF–McKenzie Evenson. SB—Kyla Knott, Hailee Danneker.
TAFT IP H R ER BB SO HR
Emma Coulter 7.00 2 0 0 0 3 0
WILLAMINA
Jami Grandy 7.00 8 9 4 5 4 0
PB–Amarisa Mooney (6). BB–Kyla Knott (2), Corey VanDamme (2), Emma Coulter.
Class 3A West Valley League standings
