Battle Ground coach Arielle Wiser and Skyview coach Kim Anthony both feel strongly that the 4A Greater St. Helens League is filled with parity.
So while the Tigers’ 7-3 win on Tuesday at VGSA does plenty to put Battle Ground as league frontrunners, both know there’s still plenty of work to be done over the next few weeks to have any chance at an extended postseason run.
It gives Battle Ground something to build around, though. Mallory Meyer was strong in the circle, striking out six compared to just one walk and seven hits in the complete game. Those Tiger bats sure are fun, too.
Battle Ground tallied 10 hits, and even the outs were primarily hard line drives.
“We just adjusted well to that inside pitch,” said Tiger sophomore Alexis Laizure, who was 3 for 4 with two doubles and three RBI. “We jumped on that and got on the board early.”
The Tigers (7-4, 3-0 4A GSHL) put up three runs in the first inning, as Emma Elliott doubled to left field and Grace Stillman pounded home a two-run single the same direction.
Skyview (6-4, 3-1) pulled to within one when Lauren Johnson and Mikelle Anthony picked up back-to-back RBI hits in the third inning. The Tigers made sure their sophomore pitcher didn’t have to fret too much when Laizure doubled to right field to score two and extend the lead to 5-2 in the third. Laizure added a bloop RBI single in the fifth and doubled down the third base line in the seventh before Jenna Bergren drove home the final run.
Stillman, a senior catcher, finished 2 for 4 with a double and two RBI.
“They knocked us out last year so it was great for us to get revenge,” Stillman said. “We’re sending a message early to the other teams in our league.”
The Tigers, who lost 7-4 to the Storm in last year’s bi-district playoffs, now sit perched atop the league with a couple more turns through the standings remaining.
“It’s huge for us,” Wiser said. “It’s a confidence booster. I told them not to get cocky, but to be confident from it. … We can’t get comfortable.”
Skyview is looking for some of that confidence after struggling at the plate at times on Tuesday. The Storm picked up seven hits, including two apiece from Mikelle Anthony, Averie Sievers and Maria Hyde.
“I thought Mallory did a really good job,” Kim Anthony said. “She just kept us off-balanced. Of all the pitchers, we’ve seen so far this year, she’s done the best job with that.” Anthony also saw her team compete. She saw a lot of fight from her pitcher, Addi Macpherson, who struck out three in six innings of work. As long as her Storm keep scrapping, Anthony figures it’ll be all right.
“Any day, anybody is going to beat anybody,” she said. “That’s why you show up to the ballpark: Because every day is a new day.”
The Storm begins its second run through the league on Wednesday against Heritage. Battle Ground is scheduled to finish a game with Camas on Thursday. The Tigers lead 3-1 through three inning in that one.
