BATTLE GROUND — The sound of the bat cracked and Morgan Stradley took a couple steps back, leapt up with her arms outstretched and caught a ball that appeared far beyond anyone’s reach.
It was an impressive out, and the first of three that would ensure the Tigers’ 8-3 win over Skyview in a 4A Greater St. Helens League game.
After the acrobatic catch, Stradley tossed the ball back to the pitcher, turned, looked toward the dugout, pointed a finger gun at her coaches and flashed a grin.
It’s the show-don’t-tell leadership style that suits the four-year starter.
“Balls you think are going to be in the gap she just takes away,” Battle Ground coach Arielle Wiser said, likening her arms to Gumby’s. “She’s a stud. Since her freshman year she’s been making plays like that.”
The play ended up a footnote in the Tigers’ dominant outing on Thursday at Battle Ground High School.
The Tigers’ dispensing of the Skyview meant something, since the Storm gave them their lone loss in league play earlier this month.
“Everyone’s playing well together, bats are hot, pitchers are doing a good job hitting spots and moving the ball,” Wiser said.
Simultaneously, Battle Ground was being helped in the standings, too.
Unbeknownst to the Tigers, defending league champ Camas picked up its second league loss on a walk-off home run at the hands of Heritage, leaving Battle Ground alone atop the 4A Greater St. Helens League standings.
And the Tigers are on a roll.
They are unbeaten in their last four games with a 6-4 extra inning win over Camas, which won the 4A GSHL by five games last season. Simply put, the Tigers feel like they are hitting their stride.
“Our bats are coming alive,” Stradley said. “We weren’t hitting very well collectively at the beginning of the season, but we’re just stringing it together and everything’s coming together good for us. These games have really boosted morale.”
Coming into the season, the Tigers had plenty of question marks.
Sure, they were returning four all-league selections — and an all-region pick in Stradley — but they were replacing key seniors in the starting lineup. And some of those spaces were filled by freshmen.
But they’ve risen to the occasion, Wiser said. Their confidence has grown with each at-bat.
Battle Ground was already up a commanding 7-2 in the fourth inning after Grace Stillman hit a solo home run over the center field fence.
Skyview didn’t convert a run until the seventh inning when Sophomore Mikelle Anthony sent a solo homer over the center field fence, she was mobbed by excited teammates at home plate, but the Tigers did not let them build momentum.
The Storm has started a freshman pitcher each of the last two seasons, this year being Darrian Gunderson. Storm coach Kim Anthony was disappointed in the team’s errors, which put more on Gunderson’s shoulders.
“Whenever we made the errors and gave them the extra outs, you have to pitch five outs in an inning, because we make the errors, we’re just putting more pressure on our young pitcher,” Anthony said. “We’ve got to continue to do better on defense, not make errors and come with a better plan at the plate.”
Senior catcher Abby Fischer left the game dissatisfied, but encouraged.
“We need to get more time outside,” Fischer said. “But also not taking the little things for granted. (We need to keep) playing catch and taking everything seriously.”
As for Battle Ground, it picked a good time to play its best softball of the season.
“I just expect good things from here on out,” Wiser said.
