"Senior Day," for the Wood River High School varsity softball team is Thursday, May 3 and the Hailey fast-pitch game against the Burley Bobcats doesn't really mean a lot.
Check that. The 4:30 p.m. game means something to seniors Trista Behr, Sierra Lee, LeighAndra Roberts, Brittney Shipley and Vanessa Valentine, playing their final game at South Valley Sports Complex.
It also means something to a Wood River squad that is trying to regain its footing after a couple of tough home losses.
At the same time, the final Great Basin Conference West contest of the regular season means little in the final seedings for next week's four-team tournament in Jerome.
Based on their stunning 11-2 win over Wood River Thursday in Hailey, the Jerome Tigers (10-11, 3-1 league) have already clinched the top seed and with it the right to host the two-day double elimination tourney.
So defending Great Basin West champ Wood River (10-12, 3-2 league) and Burley (8-10, 2-2) are playing Thursday for the #2 and #3 seeds. And they'll be continuing a rivalry that's been extremely close in recent meetings—Wood River winning twice by 6-5 scores, once 2-1.
Wood River and Burley already know they'll be playing each other Monday, May 7 at 4 p.m. at Jerome in the opening game of the tournament. Jerome will tackle #4-seeded Minico (4-16, 1-4) in the other.
But the #2-seeded team will be home team on the score sheet. So having the final at-bat is at stake Thursday as Wood River tries to sweep Burley and avoid having a tiebreaker.
Championship games with a state tournament berth at stake are Tuesday, May 8 in Jerome.
Home field and last ups haven't done Wood River much good recently. Jerome was the first to damage Wood River's psyche in Thursday's pivotal Great Basin West showdown.
With Tiger sophomore pitcher Ashley Morrell doing a great job in the circle (an economical 84 pitches, 10 hits, 1 earned run, 3 K, 0 BB) and at the plate (5-for-5, 2 RBI), Jerome (11 hits) forced the action and put Hailey on its heels.
The Wolverines (6 errors) yielded eight unearned runs in the 11-2 league loss and spent most of the day chasing Jerome balls in the gaps. In contrast Wood River met the ball squarely but hit it right at the slick-fielding Tiger defense.
Hailey pitchers Hannah Gove (4-6) and Samantha Engel continued to throw too many pitches (156, almost double Jerome's total). At the plate Engel (3 hits) did better. Leadoff hitter Angela Coleman (2 hits), catcher Valentine (2 hits) and shortstop Dani Stone (RBI double) chipped in on offense.
Friday's home game against Filer was a different story—an 8-1 Wood River triumph.
Engel (6-6) tossed a two-hitter at the Wildcats and whiffed 10 batters, but she still walked four. And Wood River banged out 20 hits led by Stone and Tasha Karst (4-for-4 each), Engel and Valentine (3 hits apiece), center fielder Coleman (2 hits, 2 RBI) and Behr (2 RBI).
Still, Wood River's roller-coaster ride continued Monday with a surprising 12-0 run-rule loss to the 2A Glenns Ferry Pilots on the Hailey diamond. The Wolverines fell to 3-6 at home after being 6-2 last year.
Glenns Ferry senior Rachel Anchustegui (6 K, 1 HBP) threw a five-inning one-hitter at Wood River, allowing only a second-inning single by Stone. The defending Canyon Conference champion Pilots (11-13) ripped 14 hits and avenged their 8-1 home loss to Wood River back on March 9.
Wood River second baseman KD Pruett makes the tag on a Jerome runner during Thursday?s league game in Hailey. Photo by David N. Seelig
