Softball team forces 'if' game, but falters in second championship contest

The Scappoose 9-10s softball team forced Willamette Purple into a second championship game in the Little League District 1 Tournament, but couldn't sustain their momentum from the night before in action last week.

The Scappoose girls started the tournament with a hard-fought 9-8 win over a combined Hollywood-Lakeside-Rose City team on July 8. They followed with an easy 21-0 victory over Willamette Red.

Those two wins put them up against also unbeaten Willamette Purple on Sunday, July 10. They couldn't get their offense going against Willamette's ace pitcher in a 13-3 loss.

Scappoose battled back with a convincing 22-11 win over Peninsula to earn another shot at Willamette Purple. They exactly reversed the loss in the first meeting with a 13-3 win. That forced a second meeting on Wednesday night.

A win was not too be, although Scappoose stayed in the game until the late going. They scrambled and pulled back within a couple of runs at 5-2 in the top of the fourth. Willamette kept the pressure on and scored five times in the bottom of the fifth for the final 12-2 score.

The Purple team advanced to the state tournament at Sheldon High School in Eugene.