Lady Wolverines beat Payette in late inning comeback

The old idiom “it’s not over till it’s over” played out in real time on Weiser’s softball field Monday, April 4, when a walk off error in the bottom of the eighth inning gave the varsity Wolverines a 13-12 win over Payette, and moved Weiser to 2-0 in conference play.

 With both teams buffeted by strong winds the Wolverines had trailed Payette narrowly through the first five innings.

 Leading 6-5 going into the sixth inning, the Pirates chalked up five runs on a walk, an error, and four singles, putting them ahead 11-5. 

 The Wolverines couldn’t get any traction in the bottom of the inning, leaving them with the deficit going into the seventh.

 Taking over on the rubber in the top of the seventh, Whitney Cordes gave up a single to Payette’s first batter K. Kiem, but followed up with back-to-back strikeouts, holding Kiem on first. A walk put S. Lebow on first and advanced Kiem to second. K. Parsons was put out at first on a dropped third strike.

 Weiser’s first batter in the bottom, Abi Wilkins, singled on a hard ground ball to left field. With one ball called on Paisley Noyer, Wilkins stole second. Noyer hit a double on the third pitch, scoring Wilkins, and starting Weiser’s comeback.

 Grace Swank hit a ground ball, reaching first on an error. With one out, Mecarte Olsen hit a hard grounder to left, reaching first on an error, and scoring both Swank and Noyer.

 A second out against Weiser, and bases loaded, Macy Maloney hit a double on a line drive to center field, scoring Olsen, Cordes, and Tobie Noyer, and tying the game 11-11 before the last out.

 Going into the top of the eighth inning, Payette’s K. Parsons was put on second base. M. Collingwood doubled on the first pitch to right field, scoring Parsons and putting the Pirates back into a 12-11 lead.

 The second batter was out, and J. Robertson reached first after a grounder into a fielder’s choice to Cordes on the mound. Collingwood was held up at third. Another ground out and a fly out ended the half.

 Wilkins was put on second for the Wolverines. P Noyer hit a hard ground ball and got on first on a shortstop error. Wilkins advanced to third.

 G. Swank doubled on a line drive to left, scoring Wilkins, advancing Noyer to third, and tying the score at 12. With three balls and one strike called, Taylor Bushong hit a fly ball to left field, reaching base on an error, and scoring Noyer to seal the win 13-12.

 Cordes, T. Noyer, Maloney, and P. Noyer had two hits apiece. 

 In junior varsity action at Payette, the Wolverines defeated the Pirates 15-4 in five innings of play. Bennett Torres led at the plate, going 3-for-3, and six RBIs. Jessie Cantrell, Alexa Lundstrum, Jordan Higley, and Jordan Stromberg each had two hits.