Katie Schroeder tossed a no-hitter in the first Camas softball game of the season. It seemed only fitting that Harli Hubbard would throw one in the first league game.
The Papermakers defeated Skyview 2-0 Wednesday, at Camas High School. Hubbard gave up zero hits, five walks and struck out 11 batters.
“It was such an amazing feeling to get on a roll like that,” Hubbard said. “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates.”
Schroeder and Tori O’Neil knocked in the two runs for the Papermakers. One Skyview player hit a sizzler to third base, but Cailyn Grindy came up with the ball.
“That one up to third was a shot,” Hubbard said. “She saved it for everyone.”
Grindy fired the ball across the diamond from her knees. Schroeder completed the special play by scooping up the throw at first base in time for the out.
“She hit the ball hard to my left. If I didn’t dive, I wouldn’t get it,” Grindy said. “I wasn’t sure I could get her, but Katie made an amazing dig. It was a rush.”
Lena Richards smothered a hot potato at second base in the sixth inning. The ball almost got away from her, but Richards stayed in control and made the throw to first. Schroeder kept her foot on the bag as she stretched and caught the ball for another big out.
“Skyview is a big competitor,” Richards said. “We weren’t picking it up on offense, so we might as well do it on defense.”
Catcher Erin Tauscher said she was clueless about the no-hitter. Hubbard didn’t realize it until the last inning. With two outs and two strikes on the final batter, Tauscher called for a rising fastball and Hubbard hit the target for strike three.
“You need pitching, defense and hitting in order to be successful,” Tauscher said. “We hit all three of those points in that game.”
Camas scored runs in bunches Monday, and defeated Evergreen 11-1 in five innings.
Kaycee Jones-Allinger hit a home run to lead off the bottom of the first inning for the Plainsmen. Richards and McKinley Johnson drove in three runs for the Papermakers. Schroeder held Evergreen to four hits and a walk, while striking out 10 batters.
“That home run was a wake up call. We knew they were here to play,” Tauscher said. “I liked that we strung a lot of hits together. Even if it was an out, we still scored a run.”
Amee Aarhus served a softball over the left fielder’s head and dove into third base for an RBI triple. Tauscher hit the ball hard three times. She tripled off the right field fence and fired two laser beams past the infielders. MacKenzie Farnham, Hannah Welborn and Johnson knocked in runs on ground outs.
“I’ll take those all day long,” said head coach Ken Nidick. “We’re scoring runs. That’s the name of the game.”
Camas goes to Union today. First pitch is at 4 p.m. The Papermakers will need to get more clutch hits, play good defense and manufacture runs.
“Coach said, ‘if we don’t represent, we’re overrated,’” Richards said. “That hit home for all of us. We want to play hard for Camas.”
