Down the stretch they come
The playoffs are starting early for the Ashland High softball team.
After a dominating start to the 2008 season, the Grizzlies have lost two of their last three games and enter Saturday's doubleheader against Eagle Point in a three-team chase for the Southern Sky Conference championship.
With four games left in the regular season, Ashland and Crater are tied atop the SSC standings at 5-3, with the Eagles just a game back at 4-4. Normally, the consolation prize for placing third wouldn't be so bad: a long road trip to start the playoffs. But this season, only the top two teams in the SSC qualify for postseason play, making these next two weeks a moment of truth for the Grizzlies.
"We knew going in that it was going to be a very tough conference — it's the toughest conference in the state," Ashland head coach Misty Potochnick said. "It's frustrating that one of the three teams that's probably one of the better ones (in the state) is not going to go to the playoffs, but hopefully that just won't be us."
It won't be if Ashland holds serve at home. After a three-week road swing the Grizzlies (17-4 overall) finish the regular season at North Mountain Park, where they're 5-0. The home stand begins against an Eagle Point team that split a twin bill against Ashland on April 12 and ends against a Crater team that split with Ashland on April 19.
When Ashland and Crater face off in the regular season finale May 10, an SSC championship could be on the line.
"It's a little more pressure (at home), but sometimes pressure is good," Ashland pitcher Bella Pribyl said.
Powered by a Jamie Paxton's three-run homer, the Eagles handed the Grizzlies their most lopsided loss of the season, 9-1. Ashland won the second game that day 2-1 after Pribyl struck out the last two Eagle Point batters with the bases loaded.
Ashland was in position to take a one-game lead in the standings last Saturday, but suffered a 3-2 loss at Mazama after a dropped fly ball allowed the Vikings to score the game-winning run. The Grizzlies went on to win the nightcap 5-4, but weren't sharp in that one either and finished the day with a whopping seven errors.
"Saturday was the first time this year that mentally we just kind of collapsed," Potochnick said. "For whatever reason we didn't pass the test on Saturday, but I think it is a good wake-up call to take us into the next two weeks."
The winner of the Southern Sky Conference hosts a second-round OSAA Class 5A playoff game on May 20. The SSC's No. 2 seed travels to play the Northwest Oregon No. 2 seed the same day.
With a league title and playoff berths on the line, Ashland slugger Samantha Gilbert expects the Grizzlies to raise their game at home.
"I think it's a big advantage," she said. "Playing at other fields I think we get a little jittery. I think we'll be able to play to our potential here."
Sports editor Joe Zavala can be reached at 482-3456 x 224 or joe.zavala@dailytidings.com
