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About Appeal tribune. (Silverton, Or.) 1999-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2016)
Sports B1 Appeal Tribune, www.silvertonappeal.com Wednesday, June 1, 2016 PHOTOS BY ANNA REED / STATESMAN JOURNAL Kennedy's Tressa Reidman (12) celebrates with teammates after her three-run home run in the Monroe vs. Kennedy softball game, in the first round of the OSAA Class 2A/1A state playoffs, at John F. Kennedy High School in Mt. Angel last week. Kennedy won the game 5-0. Homer helps Trojans advance in playoffs BILL POEHLER STATESMAN JOURNAL MT. ANGEL - Tressa Reidman has had the goal since first coming to high school at Kennedy that she wanted to hit a home run. There have been a few times when she was excruciatingly close, hitting the outfield fence a couple times and having a potential homer taken away by an ath- letic outfielder at North Douglas once this season. No one was going to catch up with the ball she hit out Wednesday. The sophomore pitcher bombed a towering three-run home run into the trees in left field in the third inning of Wednesday’s 5-0 win against Monroe in the first round of the OSAA Class 2A/1A state playoffs. Reidman finally got her first. “It’s kind of funny because we talk about goals, both personal and team goals, and one of hers was to get a din- ger,” Kennedy coach Walt Simmons said. “She hadn’t had one to this point, and so when she got it, she knew, hey, I got that goal, which was good to see for her.” No. 5 seed Kennedy (17-5) advances to Friday’s second round to play at No. 4 seed North Douglas. This Kennedy team has exceeded expectations all season. The Trojans won their first league championship since 2009 by going 10-0 in 2A/1A Special District 2 and Wednes- day’s win was the program’s first win in a state playoff game since 2010. The team is doing this without any seniors, but it works. “The juniors kind of act like the sen- iors,” said sophomore shortstop Hannah Arritola, who was 2-for-3. “They’re lead- Kennedy's Rebecca Pranger (7) throws the ball during the game vs. Monroe. Kennedy's Hannah Arritola (5) bats against Monroe. ers and they’re team captains. “We just work well together and they’re like our friends, but they’re lead- ers at the same time. It’s just really fun so we get along with them better. It’s just working out.” The development of Reidman as a pitcher has helped, too. She gave up basketball to focus on her pitching, and the sacrifice worked as she went from splitting time with first base- man Molly Jaeger as a freshman to pitching all but 20 innings this season. Reidman struck out six Monroe bat- ters and held the Dragons to five hits Wednesday with a combination of pitch- es. “I think my mental game was better because I was pretty young and inexpe- rienced last year as like a freshman in school ball,” Reidman said. “I hit my spots a lot better than last year. I have better control, definitely. And my change-up works a lot better and so does my drop ball and I think my curveball and rise ball work better. They’re more dependable. I don’t walk as many people as I did last year.” Of course it helps when a pitcher has a lead to pitch from. Reidman hit into an error in the first inning to score Rhean- non Hernandez, and Hernandez scored on a double by Arritola in the third to set the stage for Reidman’s heroics at the plate. But more importantly, for the first time in a long time, Kennedy moves on in the playoffs. bpoehler@StatesmanJour nal.com, 503-399-6701 or Twitter.com/ bpoehler Kennedy players celebrate their victory. Kennedy's Tressa Reidman, right, celebrates with teammates after her three-run home run. REACH US: Cliff Kirkpatrick, ckirkpatr@Salem.gannett.com
