Softball takes oüt LCC
Frank Jordan
The Clackamas Print
The Clackamas Cougars softball
team ended a Northwest Athletic
Association of Community Colleges
record 50-game winding streak by
Lower Columbia College on April 12,
defeating the number one ranked team
by a score of 4-2 in the first game of a
doubleheader on the Clackamas dia
mond. The second game was rained
out and will be made up today.
“We came out of the blocks very
tough,” said Head Coach Paul Fiskum.
“We got Lower Columbia back on their
heels right from the get-go.”
Freshman Melissa Gibson led off
the game with a single, and then soph
omore Morgan Huffstutter sacrificed
Gibson to second. Freshman Randi
Middagh doubled to right, scoring
Gibson. Then sophomore Carla Lillis
singled to center, moving Middagh to
third. Brooke Comstock, a sophomore
from South Salem, laid down a perfect
sacrifice squeeze bunt, scoring
Middagh, to give the Cougars a 2-0
lead after one inning.
In the third Middagh walked, was
sacrificed to second, got to third base
on a passed ball by the LCC catcher
and scored on a Comstock squeeze
bunt for a 3-0 lead.
In the fifth, Middagh walked again,
Lillis sacrificed her to second,
Comstock singled to left, then fresh
man Angie Roberti lined a shot off of
the second baseman’s glove for a base
hit, scoring Middagh for a 4-0 Cougar
lead.
Carleen Lessard, a' freshman from
Longview, Wash, pitched four score
less innings, allowing two hits and four
walks. Freshman BrieanneThurri from
Springfield relieved Lessard and
pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings before
running into trouble in the.seventh,
allowing three straight base hits, load
ing the bases. Sophomore Miranda
Gillaspie relieved Thum and got the
LCC batter to hit a pop-up to end the
Cougar Sports
.
Calendar
Saturday, April
19/20
Crossover
Tournament
at Wenatchee, WA
Tuesday, April 22
Southwestern
Oregon (DH)
3 p.m. HOME
Saturday, April 19
Southwestern
Oregon (DH)
1 p.m. HOME
Tuesday, April 22
at Mt. Hood CC
(DH)
1 p.m.
Saturday, April 19
Cougar Invite
HOME
game.
“Lessard pitched a great game, and
we were very solid defensively behind
her,” Fiskum said. “We decided to take
her out because we wanted Lower
Columbia to have to think about anoth
er pitcher who has a totally different
style (Thum). It has worked to our
advantage so far this season, and with
the type of team Lower Columbia has,
we need all of the help we can get.”
Comstock went 3-3 at the plate,
while Gibson was 2-4 with a run
scored.
“Gibson has played really well for
us, both at the plate and in the field,”
Fiskum said. “Not bad for a basketball
player.”
Clackamas followed the upset win
over Lower Columbia with a 2-0 loss
to Mt. Hood CC on April 13.
“We always thought that we might
suffer a letdown after a big win, and we
talked to the girls about having their
focus on the next game,” said Fiskum.
“The girls seemed to be focused
enough, and we played pretty well (in
the Mt. Hood game). The breaks
seemed to not go our way.”
Mt. Hood put together two singles,
a sacrifice bunt and a long double to
center to get their two runs in the first,
and held on for the win. Clackamas
only managed five hits in the game, but
couldn’t get any timely hits to capital
ize on their base runners.
“Mt. Hood gave us a piece of our
own medicine. We have used our
speed and our fundamentals to beat
teams all year, yet the tables got turned
on us in this game,” Fiskum said. “We
threatened all game, but we got no
breaks. We couldn’t deliver the hits
when we needed them. That’s soft
ball.”
Clackamas ended the week with a
14-6 overall record and a 12-2 record
in the Southern Division of the
NWAACC, good for second place in
the division and a number three rank
ing in the latest NWAACC Coaches’
Poll, released on April 6.
The second game of the Mt Hood
doubleheader was rained out The
game was made up on April 14.
Results will be reported in the next edi
tion of The Print Today, Clackamas
will play Lower Columbia in a makeup
game from last Saturday. Game time is
4 p.m. on the Cougar diamond.
NIC DclxcLL Clackamas rnnt
Randi Middagh sneaks in to steal home in CCC’s April 12 victory
over Lower Columbia.
Woes continue for
Clackamas baseball
N i c D eIze 11
The Clackamas Print
Clackamas baseball is having its
ups and downs mid-way through the
spring.
Cougar baseball participated in
the Treasure Valley CC Tournament
March 21-23. With two wins, the
first over Treasure Valley 10-7, the
second over Green River 10-3, the
Cougars found themselves in the
championship game. They were vic
torious once again over Green River
11-3. Pitcher Tim Dumas went six
solid innings for the win.
According to Head Coach Robin
Robinson, hitting was a big plus. In
three games, the Cougars scored an
impressive 31 tournament runs off 39
team hits.
Barry Humphrey’s effort at the
plate in the championship game was
key. He went 3-4, resulting in two
runs, two RBIs, and one stolen base.
Noah Breslaw also created offense
going 2-3 with one run scored, and
one RBI.
“A total team effort,” said
Robinson.
Going into league play Robinsori1
is busy getting his team on track.
“Six of nine are playing great, we
are working hard on the others.” said
Robinson. “We will do well in
league play.”
League play began March 29'
with a 5-2 win over Southwestern
Oregon CC.
This time Duirias pitched eight
innings, getting another win. Jesse
Gaylord sparked the Cougar bats,
going 2-4 with three RBIs and two
stolen bases. The second game of the
doubleheader went to SWOCC 4-3.
Oregon rain has been a problem
early. Games with Chemeketa, Linn
Benton, and Mt Hood, have been
canceled or postponed due to rain.
The Lane Titans visited campus
April 8 taking home two victories, 8-
2 and 7-2.
Last Saturday’s doubleheader
was originally scheduled at CCC.
The games were moved to
Chemeketa due to rain showers.
Saturday against Chemeketa, the
Cougars were shut out in game one,
5-0.
“We didn’t hit well,” said
Robinson.
Game two was a different story,
with Clackamas winning 5-4. Brad
Neffendorf went five innings giving
up four runs for the win. Tyler Rose
went 2-3 with two RBIs.
“When all of it
comes
together, we
will be very
good.”
Robin Robinson
Head Baseball
Coach
According to Robinson his team
played “a great ball game. We
pitched, hit and played good
defense.”
Last Sunday Clackamas played a
makeup doubleheader, also held at
Chemeketa. Game one the Cougars
lost 7-6. Game two the Cougars
pounded their way back to victory
13-3. The Cougars batted their way
to an effective 13 team hits.
Clackamas baseball is currently
8-9 in overall play, 4-4 in league
play. Robinson remains optimistic
this early in the season.
“We have not played a total game
yet. We are improving. We are not
healthy,” he said. “When all of it
comes together, we will be very
good.”