Reporter for The Canyon Weekly
The Scio High and Santiam High softball programs have entered May in prime position to claim league championships.
Scio, the runner-up in Class 3A a year ago, went on the road to Yamhill-Carlton and claimed a 4-0 victory on April 29. The showdown victory by the No. 1 Loggers against the No. 3 Tigers lifted Scio to 15-1 overall and 10-0 in Class 3A’s Special District 2. Y-C, which also lost to the Loggers by a 3-2 count on April 8, fell to 7-2 in district play and 13-5 overall.
Scio closes the district season with Amity, Taft, Santiam Christian and Sheridan, teams the Loggers combined to beat by a combined 61-3 score during the first round. Then, Scio ends the regular season with high-wattage games at Class 4A Oregon West Conference powers Cascade (May 10) and Stayton (May 13) before entering the playoffs.
Santiam, meanwhile, improved to 7-0 in Class 2A-1A Special District 3 play with a thumping 22-1 win on April 30 against Gervais. The Wolverines, 15-3 overall and ranked 6th by the OSAA, are two games clear of everyone else in the league. Santiam is followed by Regis (4-2, ranked 31st), Gervais (4-3, ranked 28th), Mohawk (3-3, ranked 40th) and Central Linn (3-3, ranked 32nd). The Wolverines host Mohawk at 4:30 p.m. on May 3 and visit Regis at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, May 7.
BASEBALL: Santiam is struggling a bit, dropping seven out of eight after opening Class 2A-1A Special District 3 play with a 4-0 record. The Wolverines are 5-7 in league, 9-11 overall and currently in fifth place behind Regis (9-0), Monroe/Alsea (8-2), Central Linn (7-5) and Culver (5-3). Only three teams automatically qualify for the playoffs, but Santiam has some schedule advantages that might play out in its favor.
First, the Wolverines close the season with three games against 1-9 Crosshill Christian. Also, Central Linn, the team Santiam needs to pass to get into the playoffs, closes the season with three games against undefeated Regis.
Santiam also needs to get clear of Culver, but that goal is right in front of them. The Wolverines host the Bulldogs in a doubleheader on May 3 in Mill City, with game 1 scheduled to start at 2 p.m. The Wolverines have played four more league games to date than Culver, which should mean that Santiam’s pitchers will be better rested down the stretch.
