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WINSTON — Destiny Cowan’s smash to deep centerfield started quite a hit parade for the Sutherlin High softball team in the second inning Tuesday.
As it turned out, it would have been the only hit the Bulldogs needed in a 8-0 win over Douglas in the Far West League opener for both teams. Cowan hit an inside-the-park home run, touching all four bases while the ball rolled past the undetermined outfield.
Freshman Mikayla Mendenhall did the rest, pitching a two-hit shutout and continuing Sutherlin’s unbeaten start. Despite the game being her third high school start ever, Mendenhall’s teammates weren’t surprised.
“She’s been playing with this group for a while in ASA ball,” said first baseman Sierra Terrel-Perez, who went 3-for-4 with a triple. “Coming in as a freshman, she’s really stepping up.”
Mendenhall retired 14 straight batters at one point and while only striking out four batters, induced 16 ground ball outs to a stout defense.
“Mikayla is an excellent location pitcher and has a tendency to change things up,” Sutherlin coach Dave Hyland said. “Our defense played good behind her.”
Douglas (2-5, 0-1 FWL), which swept three games from the Bulldogs (4-0, 1-0) last season, managed only Kenzie Dahl’s single to shallow right and a Courtney Bush infield hit.
“We never got the good part of the bat,” Douglas coach Rick Taylor said. “They beat us in almost all phases of the game.”
Following Cowan’s home run, right fielder Jacqui Gilman doubled, stole third and came home when a pickoff throw skipped into foul territory.
Terrel-Perez led off the third with a drive similar to Cowan’s, but this time the Trojans were able to corral the ball and limit her to a triple. But it didn’t matter as Tess Bennett drove her home on the next at-bat with an RBI single. Cowan finished a triple short of the cycle, adding a double in the third and infield hit in the fifth.
Mendenhall helped her own cause that inning, driving in Gilman with a shot through the gap. Sutherlin added two more in the seventh on RBI singles from Samantha Jaramillo and Terrel-Perez.
“It was a good start for us in getting our confidence up hitting,” Terrel-Perez said. “It tells us what we need to focus on, what our strengths and weaknesses are.”
Douglas’ Katy King struck out nine and the defense committed four errors behind her, but with the Bulldogs collecting 13 hits, the outcome wasn’t in doubt after the third inning.
“There’s the adage that life is 10 percent what happens and the other 90 is how you react to it,” Taylor said. “We’ve got a big game on Friday at Brookings … so this is our opportunity to react.”
• You can reach sports reporter Rob McCallum by e-mail at rmccallum@newsreview.info, or by phone at 957-4221.
Sutherlin 023 010 2 — 8 13 1
Douglas 000 000 0 — 0 2 4
Mendenhall and Bennett. King and Case. WP — Mendenhall (3-0). LP — King (2-3). HR — Cowan (S). 3B — Terrel-Perez (S). 2B — Gilman (S), Cowan (S).
As it turned out, it would have been the only hit the Bulldogs needed in a 8-0 win over Douglas in the Far West League opener for both teams. Cowan hit an inside-the-park home run, touching all four bases while the ball rolled past the undetermined outfield.
Freshman Mikayla Mendenhall did the rest, pitching a two-hit shutout and continuing Sutherlin’s unbeaten start. Despite the game being her third high school start ever, Mendenhall’s teammates weren’t surprised.
“She’s been playing with this group for a while in ASA ball,” said first baseman Sierra Terrel-Perez, who went 3-for-4 with a triple. “Coming in as a freshman, she’s really stepping up.”
Mendenhall retired 14 straight batters at one point and while only striking out four batters, induced 16 ground ball outs to a stout defense.
“Mikayla is an excellent location pitcher and has a tendency to change things up,” Sutherlin coach Dave Hyland said. “Our defense played good behind her.”
Douglas (2-5, 0-1 FWL), which swept three games from the Bulldogs (4-0, 1-0) last season, managed only Kenzie Dahl’s single to shallow right and a Courtney Bush infield hit.
“We never got the good part of the bat,” Douglas coach Rick Taylor said. “They beat us in almost all phases of the game.”
Following Cowan’s home run, right fielder Jacqui Gilman doubled, stole third and came home when a pickoff throw skipped into foul territory.
Terrel-Perez led off the third with a drive similar to Cowan’s, but this time the Trojans were able to corral the ball and limit her to a triple. But it didn’t matter as Tess Bennett drove her home on the next at-bat with an RBI single. Cowan finished a triple short of the cycle, adding a double in the third and infield hit in the fifth.
Mendenhall helped her own cause that inning, driving in Gilman with a shot through the gap. Sutherlin added two more in the seventh on RBI singles from Samantha Jaramillo and Terrel-Perez.
“It was a good start for us in getting our confidence up hitting,” Terrel-Perez said. “It tells us what we need to focus on, what our strengths and weaknesses are.”
Douglas’ Katy King struck out nine and the defense committed four errors behind her, but with the Bulldogs collecting 13 hits, the outcome wasn’t in doubt after the third inning.
“There’s the adage that life is 10 percent what happens and the other 90 is how you react to it,” Taylor said. “We’ve got a big game on Friday at Brookings … so this is our opportunity to react.”
• You can reach sports reporter Rob McCallum by e-mail at rmccallum@newsreview.info, or by phone at 957-4221.
Sutherlin 023 010 2 — 8 13 1
Douglas 000 000 0 — 0 2 4
Mendenhall and Bennett. King and Case. WP — Mendenhall (3-0). LP — King (2-3). HR — Cowan (S). 3B — Terrel-Perez (S). 2B — Gilman (S), Cowan (S).
