Ontario aims for long state run

By RAY RODRIGUEZ | ARGUS OBSERVER
Monday, May 21, 2007 10:43 AM PDT

Ontario third baseman Kayla Park sets up to field a ground ball during the Tigers’ practice Friday at Ore-Ida Heinz Regional Sports Complex. The No. 8 ranked Tigers host Scappoose Tuesday.

ONTARIO — The excitement is the air for the No. 8 ranked Ontario softball team as they embark on a journey starting Tuesday at home against Scappoose with first pitch slated for 4 p.m.

Scappoose (15-10 overall) the third-place team of the 4A Cowapa League comes in to Ontario Tuesday after a 4-2 defeat of Cascade Friday in first round action at the 4A state softball tournament.

A season ago Scappoose was league champions and advanced to the quarterfinals before losing to Mazama, 8-2. Ontario on the other hand, struggled to an 8-12 record, coaching change, several other team issues and managed to fall one game shy of a state berth.

Now, the word state is thrown around and many believe 2007 could be the year of the Tiger.

“I’m excited,” Ontario head coach and co-coach of the year, David Hopper said. “I have a hard time sleeping at night. I feel we can be very successful. They just need to come out and go to battle each day.”

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The Lady Tigers have gone to battle and were crowned Greater Oregon League champions, finishing with a 14-10 overall record and have been successful using the pitching of GOL first-teamer, Jordan Rowan.

Rowan was relied upon to log the bulk of the teams’ innings and pitched in many big games, including a no-hit effort against Weiser.

“She’s been the key ingredient for this team,” Hopper said. “She has been all year long. She’s ready for this. She’s a fine pitcher and keeps a lot of the batters off-balanced and guessing at the plate. If she hits her spots, we’re going to be successful.”

Rowan started the season, in a three-player platoon for the starting role and has been able to rise to the occasion to lead her squad.

“It makes me feel great that coach knows he can call on me to get the job done,” Rowan said. “Just the fact that he knows that I can do it, gives me the confidence to go out there and lead the team.”

With Rowan handling her job from the circle, the calling card of the Tigers is the offense, where from top to bottom, can put opposing pitchers through fits.

Ontario is led by the duo of Ashley Moeller and Jordan Barnett, who each have a batting average of .385 and have each tallied 28 hits.

They have spearheaded an Ontario offense that has scored 168 runs, while allowing only 115.

Ontario’s senior slugger Sarah Wharton leads the team in home runs with five and teammate Kim Boyd sets the table for the big hitters at the leadoff spot.

Boyd has 12 stolen bases and freshmen, Francine Hussey (.305) and Allison Yano (.341, four home runs) look to continue their first-year success at state.

“If we come out and hit we’ll be pretty tough to beat,” Hopper said. “That’s what we have been talking about all week long in practice is focusing on strikes and hitting the tar out of the ball.”

Moeller, a junior, headlines an Ontario squad that has never made a state appearance until now, but is ready to cause a stir.

“I think we’re ready to play,” Moeller said. “We want to win. I know I’m here to play. It’s time for us to play some ball and win some games. We’re going to go out there and try our hardest. I think we’re going to have to continue to put in a lot of work and play hard until the end. If we play hard, we’ll have a good chance.”

A win Tuesday by Ontario, sets up a third round matchup Friday against the winner of the Rogue River-Junction City game.