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OSAA Class 4A and 6A softball championship games for state softball postponed

zack palmer, register-guard
·4 min read

UPDATED AT 11:50 a.m. Saturday

Saturday’s OSAA Class 4A and 6A softball championship games at Jane Sanders Stadium have been postponed due to inclement weather.

No. 1 Marist and No. 2 Cascade were set to play for the 4A title at 2 p.m. Saturday. That game will now take place Tuesday at 3 p.m.

The 6A game between No. 1 Oregon City and No. 3 Tigard will be played at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Original story:

Regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s state softball title game, Marist has had a season for the ages.

Senior pitcher Malia Williams broke one state record and tied another, and junior Paige Doerr is tantalizingly close to another record. The Spartans have beaten all but three opponents they've faced this season.

Williams is on an epic hot streak, not allowing a hit in any of Marist’s three playoff games so far (combined score 24-0). She has thrown 13 no-hitters this season, which broke the 25-year-old state record of 11 by Hood River Valley’s Crystal Draper, and her 22 career no-hitters put her in a tie with Taft’s Ashley Birdsong for the state’s all-classification record.

Doerr, meanwhile, is hitting at an impressive level. The junior has a .648 batting average with 12 home runs and 70 RBIs in 28 games this season. The state record for single-season RBIs is 74 – set by her sister, Abby Doerr, in 2019 – while former Marist star and current Oregon outfielder Ariel Carlson twice drove in 72 runs.

But numbers and records are one thing – winning when it matters is the most important thing.

Top-ranked Marist (25-3) will face No. 2 Cascade (24-4) for all the marbles on Saturday in the Class 4A softball championship game, which will be played at Jane Sanders Stadium at 2 p.m.

Marist’s Malia Williams, center, celebrates with teammates as the Spartans defeated Stayton 6-0 at Marist Catholic High School in Eugene Tuesday, May 31, 2022.
Marist’s Malia Williams, center, celebrates with teammates as the Spartans defeated Stayton 6-0 at Marist Catholic High School in Eugene Tuesday, May 31, 2022.

“Our team goal all season has been to win back-to-back state titles, and we can't wait to play our best game at The Jane on Saturday,” said Marist coach Stefan Schroffner, whose team beat Henley in last year’s 4A Showcase Championship, which was not officially recognized by the OSAA.

“They have earned the right to defend their state title. Our team will be hungry and ready to slay it on Saturday.”

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The Spartans have slayed virtually every opponent in 2022, losing only to Vintage, a California powerhouse, and in-state 6A programs Sheldon and Tualatin, both with enrollments of 1,300 or more. For perspective, Marist has 430 students. Marist went 15-0 in Sky-Em League play and outscored opponents 324-31 this season – an average score of 12-1.

Marist’s lineup is loaded from top to bottom and the defense is rock solid behind Williams, who is committed to play at Hawaii next year.

“When you combine our talented defense with Malia’s pitching, it is not easy to get on base and score runs against us,” Schroffner said. “Then when you factor in a potent batting lineup and the sheer determination of this team – all I can say is I would not bet against the Lady Spartans.”

Marist's Paige Doerr hits the ball as the Marist Spartans defeated Stayton 6-0 at Marist Catholic High School Tuesday, May 31, 2022, in Eugene.
Marist's Paige Doerr hits the ball as the Marist Spartans defeated Stayton 6-0 at Marist Catholic High School Tuesday, May 31, 2022, in Eugene.

Second-ranked Cascade will not relish the underdog role, having won 19 of its last 20 games while outscoring opponents by a combined score of 223-40. The Cougars’ only recent slip-up was a 4-3 loss to Sweet Home on May 12, but their resume also includes a 3-0 loss to Marist in the season opener back in March.

It’s impossible to extrapolate early-season results to current performance, so that game will be in the rearview mirror for both teams. But results are results, and Williams struck out 16 batters while allowing just one hit in that shutout victory.

One other item of note – Doerr went 1-for-4 in that game, which was arguably her worst performance of the season. Since then, she has 56 hits in 27 games, including 11 doubles, nine triples and 12 home runs. That means 32 of her team-leading 57 hits this season have gone for extra bases. She has also hit four home runs in the Spartans’ three playoff victories – two in the first round against Baker, one against Henley and one Tuesday against Stayton in the semifinals.

“That’s incredible,” Schroffner said. “Paige is having a season for the ages. She is an amazing hitter who can hit for contact or power.”

Marist’s Madeleine Hopkins slides safely into home plate as the Spartans defeated Stayton 6-0 at Marist Catholic High School in Eugene Tuesday, May 31, 2022.
Marist’s Madeleine Hopkins slides safely into home plate as the Spartans defeated Stayton 6-0 at Marist Catholic High School in Eugene Tuesday, May 31, 2022.

Of course, Marist’s success has been powered by more than two players. The Spartans have gotten huge contributions from seniors Chelsea Rustik, Tessa Woodrum and Madeleine Hopkins, plus sophomores Aaliyah Martinez and Kellie Schroffner.

Marist will approach Saturday as just another game, but the stakes will be higher and the atmosphere will be different after the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID and the 2021 campaign was abbreviated to five weeks.

“Sometimes it is tough to be the No. 1 seed during the entire season and going into playoffs, but these Lady Spartans are mentally tough, highly competitive, and don't flinch,” Schroffner said. “We're here to defend our state title.”

Follow Zack Palmer on Twitter @zpalmer_11 or email at zpalmer@registerguard.com.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: OSAA Class 4A and 6A softball championship games postponed