Taft High used a 4-for-4 plate performance and eight strikeouts Tuesday in a complete-game road outing by junior starter Emma Coulter to remain in the heat of the race for a league softball playoff berth by defeating Warrenton, 7-3.
“Emma had a great game,” Taft coach Sandy Stuart said. “She didn’t walk anyone and she went 4-for-4 at the plate. We had a slight scare early in the game when she was hit by a pitch right in the kneecap. Luckily, she is a tough player and was able to stick it out.”
Coulter’s four singles, among 13 for Taft, helped erase a 1-0 first-inning deficit. The Tigers tied the game with a run in the top of the third. Taft erupted for six runs in the fifth after the Warriors countered with two runs in the bottom half of the third inning.
Junior catcher Hailee Danneker and sophomores Claira Tolan and Kayla Lininger had two hits each for the Tigers, while Chloe Peterson drove home two runs and fellow freshman Lily Hatton scored twice.
“We came out a little sleepy at first and not quite ready, but we were able to put together a big inning later in the game to take the win,” said Stuart, whose Tigers overcame 12 stranded runners and three errors in the win. “We had a few mistakes that cost us on the base paths today as well.”
The Tigers, ranked 12th entering play, improved to 13-6, 5-3 in the Class 3A Special District 1 win, while the Warriors fell to 5-10, 2-6.
The Tigers are at Willamina Friday for a 3 p.m. league doubleheader.
Taft 7, Warrenton 3 TAFT AB R H BI WARRENTON AB R H BI Hailee Danneker 5 1 2 1 A Miethe 4 2 2 0 Addie Gates 4 0 1 0 D Bue 4 1 2 1 Emma Coulter 4 0 4 1 J Freniere 3 0 0 0 Kayla Lininger 4 0 2 0 K Ramsey 3 0 2 0 Olivia Coulter 3 0 0 1 R Dyer 3 0 0 0 Claira Tolan 4 1 2 1 M kadera 3 0 0 0 Kyla Knott 2 1 1 0 M Kapua 2 0 0 0 Corey VanDamme 3 1 0 0 L Thomas 3 0 0 0 Chloe Peterson 4 1 1 2 C Bussert 3 0 1 0 Lily Hatton 0 2 0 0 TOTALS 33 7 13 6 TOTALS 28 3 7 1 TAFT 001 060 0 -- 7 WARRENTON 102 000 0 -- 3 LOB--TAFT 12, WARRENTON 5. E--Kayla Lininger (2), Corey VanDamme, J Freniere, K Ramsey. HBP--Kyla Knott, Addie Gates, Corey VanDamme, Emma Coulter. SACB--Kyla Knott, M Kapua. SB--Olivia Coulter, A Miethe. TAFT IP H R ER BB SO HR Emma Coulter 7.00 7 3 1 0 8 0 WARRENTON M McFadden 7.00 13 7 2 2 5 0 PB--Hailee Danneker (2). SO--Kyla Knott, Hailee Danneker, Chloe Peterson, Corey VanDamme (2), A Miethe, M Kapua, L Thomas (3), J Freniere, C Bussert (2). BB--Kayla Lininger, Olivia Coulter.
