Beavers Beat Westview, Run Metro Win Streak to 3

Beaverton held off a furious 7th-inning rally and beat the Wildcats at Westview 7 - 6 on Monday. Coming on the heels of the team's emotional win at Southridge on Friday, the Beavers ran their Metro win streak to 3 games and moved into sole possession of the League's final playoff spot.

The Beavers started slowly at Westview. With two outs in the top of the first, Willow Martinson lined the 9th pitch of her at-bat into left field, but Kayla Lauro hit a 3-0 pitch back to the pitcher for a groundout to end the inning.

The Wildcats had much better success in their half of the first. Starter Megen Ickler gave up a single to right, a stolen base, a bunt single and then got a called third strike and Westview had runners on first and third with one out. Sticking with the short game, the Wildcats clean-up hitter bunted down the third base line and an effort to catch the runner from third coming home was late while the runner on first went all the way to third. The next batter grounded out to Hannah Johnson at second, scoring the runner from third. The next Wildcat struck out to end the inning with Westview up 2 - 0.

The Beavers wasted no time getting rolling in the top of the 2nd. Ruby LaFollette led off with a single up the middle and after an attempt to sacrifice her to second by Hannah Johnson was misplayed, the Beavers had runners on first and second with no outs. Gracie Coburn hit back to the pitcher who forced LaFollette at third. Ickler followed with a solid single, scoring Johnson and moving Coburn to third. Natsuki Horakawa grounded out to first base, scoring Coburn and leaving Ickler on second with two outs. Up next, Maddie Evans laced the first pitch back up the middle, scoring Ickler. The next batter grounded out to first ending the Beavers half of the second.

Ickler needed only 7 pitches to retire the Wildcats in the bottom of the second, getting first-pitch comebackers from the first two batters and a harmless roller to Johnson at second base for the third out. After two, the Beavers led 3 - 2.

The Beaver bats continued to roll along in the third. Martinson opened the inning with another single to left and Lauro followed with a double to right center. LaFollette reached on an error, scoring pinch-runner Moriah Kimmer. Johnson was then hit by a pitch, loading the bases with no outs and setting up what looked like a big inning for the Beavers. Coburn was up next, flying out to center field, but scoring Lauro from third. The opportunity to blow the game open ended with a grounder to the pitcher and a strikeout.

Westview, now down 5 - 2, tried to scrap back in their half of the third. After a lead-off groundout to Johnson, the next batter got aboard with a bunt, but was promptly forced at second when the following batter hit the ball to Evans at short for the relay to Johnson on the bag. Now with two outs and a runner on first, Westview's next batter walked, but a groundout to short ended the Westview threat.

Westview made a pitching change to show the Beaver batters a different look in the top of the fourth. Nevertheless, Evans led off the inning with her second hit, a single that dropped in shallow center field. Megan John sacrificed Evans to second, but a pop foul to third and a grounder back to the pitcher left her stranded there.

Westview went down one-two-three again in the fourth - this time on only six pitches - with grounders to Johnson and Evans and a fly to Johnson.

The Beavers retained their 5 - 2 lead as they came to the plate in the top of the 5th, but another promising start ended with no scoring. LaFollette led off the inning and reached on an error on the Westview first baseman. She was forced at second when Johnson also hit to the first baseman. Coburn, batting third, sacrificed Johnson to second, but the next batter grounded out to second, ending the inning.

Westview struck in their half of the fifth. A lead-off single to center on an 0 - 2 count was quickly followed by two groundouts to Johnson and Ickler, moving the runner to third. The next batter hit a bloop single to right field that unexpectedly dropped between Johnson and right fielder Caitlin Ellerbe, scoring the runner from third. Ickler struck out the next batter, ending the inning with Beaverton still leading 5 - 3.

One major difference in this edition of the Beavers from previous years is its ability to keep scoring until the game is over. Coming up in the sixth, the Beavers knew five runs probably wouldn't get it done, based on their experience against Westview earlier in the season. Leading off the inning, Horakawa drew a walk and was moved to second on Evans' third hit of the game, a single to left. A wild pitch gave the Beavers runners on second and third with no outs. The Beavers then produced back-to-back fly outs to center, but the second one - by Martinson - was deep enough to score Horakawa from third with Evans moving over to occupy that base. Up next, Lauro delivered a single to right on a full count, scoring Evans. LaFollette hit safely up the middle, and a double steal gave the Beavers runners on second and third with two outs. The next batter flied out to center though, ending the Beavers half of the sixth having extended their lead to 7 - 3.

Westview tried to get the runs back in the bottom of the sixth. The first two Wildcat batters singled and were sacrificed to second and third. But with one out, Ickler got consecutive strikeouts, stopping the Wildcats in their tracks.

Coming to the seventh, the Beavers enjoyed a 7 - 3 lead and no doubt hoped to extend it yet again, but consecutive flyouts to right field and a hard liner that was snared at third base ended the Beavers final at-bat in regulation.

Westview did not become the quality softball program it has been for years by rolling over when the going gets tough. The Wildcats roared back into the game with a ferocity that would have unhinged previous Beaver teams. Two singles and an error gave Westview loaded bases and their cleanup hitter at the plate - one swing from tying the game. In a bit of strategery, the Beavers issued her an intentional walk, giving up a run to get to the bottom half of the Wildcat order. Now down 7 - 4, the next Wildcat batter hit the ball back to Ickler, who threw to Martinson for the force at home. A single to left by the next Westview hitter scored another run, and kept the bases loaded as Westview closed to 7 - 5. The 7th batter of the inning hit the ball to short, where Evans fielded it and stepped on third for the force, but allowing yet another run to score. Now the game was really on the line with runners on first and second, two outs and Westview trailing by only one run. The team's 8th batter obliged the Beavers by hitting a grounder to Lauro, who almost casually gunned her out at first, ending the game.

Ickler picked up the win and the Beavers moved into sole possession of 4th place in the Metro League, only one game out of third. The team faces undefeated Jesuit Wednesday, a school it has not beaten in years. But after breaking through against Southridge Friday - a team Beaverton had not beaten since 2004 - a better showing then the 10 - 0 pasting the Crusaders delivered earlier in the season certainly seems possible.