One year removed from the first losing season in the program's history, Ridgeview softball has rediscovered its groove.
With most of the same players from a team that finished 10-12 last season, the Ravens are 18-0 overall, 9-0 in the 5A Intermountain Conference. They are No. 1 in the OSAAtoday 5A coaches poll.
“I'm pleasantly surprised with them this year,” said coach Sandy Fischer, who led Ridgeview to the state title in 2019. “We just stay in the moment, don't try to get too far ahead. We're a step better in pitching and as intelligent hitters. They all seem pretty dialed in at the plate.”
Fischer, who coached Oklahoma State to 901 wins and nine appearances in the Women's College World Series in 23 seasons, started the Ridgeview program in 2013. For six consecutive seasons (2014-19), the Ravens won the IMC and posted at least 20 wins.
Ridgeview hasn't reached that plateau since its 2019 state championship, but this year's team is showing the same type of consistency and balance that was characteristic of the Ravens during their IMC reign, according to Fischer.
“What's nice about this team is there are some games when the top of the order is not producing, but the bottom is,” Fischer said. “We can go from power to short game, which is nice. It took us a long time to be able to do that. We've got power up and down the lineup.”
Fischer likes the Ravens' intelligent approach at the plate. They have become more adept at taking walks and advancing runners, and as a result, their scoring has increased from 5.6 runs per game in 2024 to 10.0 this season.
“I think the difference is we're a year older, a year more experienced,” Fischer said. “They know what to expect from me. We had a lot of new kids last year and it was their first taste of serious competition. I think that year of learning is paying off this year.”
Senior infielder Brooklyn Lick, a 5A second-team pick the last two seasons who has signed with Bushnell, provides power. In a 3-0 home win over Summit on April 25, she supplied the offense by hitting two homers and driving in three runs.
Ridgeview graduated one starter from last season, but made a key addition in freshman Paislee Grant, who has batted cleanup. Grant played mostly outfield for her summer team but has played three infield positions for Ridgeview.
“She comes to us with a little bit more experience than some of the others,” Fischer said. “She has learned some positions and done some good things for us.”
Senior catcher Kinnedy Scott and sophomore pitcher Brezlyn Hagemeister also have been productive near the top of the order. But the Ravens can strike from anywhere in the lineup.
“We have a good balance in power, speed and contact hitting,” she said. “On any given day, different people step up.”
Ridgeview appeared headed for its first loss April 16 when it trailed visiting Caldera 9-3 in the sixth inning before rallying to win 10-9. The Ravens put up five runs in the sixth added two more in the seventh, tying it on Lick's RBI double and winning it on a ground ball by sophomore first baseman Kasidy Osborn.
“They were pretty excited about that,” Fischer said. “They never quit. I think because we have consistency in our batting order that we're never out of it.”
Ridgeview has held foes to a 5A-low 36 runs behind Hagemeister. She is a more efficient pitcher than last season, cutting down on walks and adding an effective changeup.
Hagemeister is racking up double-digit strikeout games. She fanned 18 in the comeback win over Caldera and whiffed 11 in shutting out Summit 3-0 on April 25.
“She throws a heavy ball,” Fischer said. “When she's really throwing well, she gets really good acceleration on her pitches. She's getting better this year at offsetting her pitches. In a lot of games, we're as good as she is.”
It's difficult to gauge how Ridgeview stacks up with other top teams in the state, but the Ravens do hold a 10-2 nonleague win over No. 2 Hood River Valley (15-2). Their only other game against a team currently ranked in the top 10 of the coaches polls is a 2-1 home victory over 6A No. 10 McNary (15-5).
Fischer isn't putting too much stock in the team's record. In 2015, Ridgeview took a 22-1 record into the playoffs and lost in the first round.
“Don't look back at your record, don't look forward, just stay where your feet are at,” she said.
Unbeatens fall
Two teams suffered their first losses of the season in the past week, leaving Ridgeview and 4A No. 1 La Grande (21-0) as the only unbeaten teams in the state.
Cascade (19-1), ranked third in 4A, lost to unranked Stayton 14-4 in six innings in an Oregon West Conference game May 1. The host Eagles (12-6) got payback for a 10-0 loss at Cascade on April 21.
Stayton senior center fielder Brookelynne Morley had three hits and three RBIs in the win. The Eagles scored three runs in the fifth inning and five runs in the sixth inning to end it.
No. 3 Dayton (17-2) spoiled the perfect record of No. 1 Scio (17-1) with a 3-1 road win over the Loggers in a 3A Special District 3 game Monday. The Pirates broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the top of the seventh, scoring the first run on a single by Rylie Hedgecock and the second one on an error.
Dayton freshman Gabby Chupp and sophomore Charly Upmeyer combined to hold Scio to five hits, fanning 12. The Pirates got eight hits off Scio's Myleigh Cooper, who struck out eight.
In the district standings, Scio is 13-1 and Dayton is 12-2.
St. Helens commands Cowapa
No. 4 St. Helens completed a three-game season sweep of No. 2 Scappoose with two wins in 4A Cowapa League games in the past week.
The Lions won at Scappoose 4-1 on May 1 and defeated the Indians 2-1 at home Monday. St. Helens (17-1, 8-0), which also beat Scappoose 5-2 on April 10, has opened a three-game lead over the Indians (15-3, 5-3) atop the league.
Sophomore pitcher Emeline Curaming shut down Scappoose in the last two games. Backed by an error-free defense, she tossed a five-hitter with no strikeouts and one walk May 1 and threw a four-hitter with three strikeouts and two walks Monday.
Halli Heys had two hits and two RBIs in the win at Scappoose and drove in a run in Monday's game. Scappoose committed a combined seven errors in the two games.
Notes: Red-hot West Salem, ranked sixth in 6A, has taken control of the Central Valley Conference. The Titans (16-5, 6-0), who have won 10 in row, own a two-game lead over McNary (15-5, 4-2). Mya Ward is having a big season for West Salem, batting .492 with eight home runs, 42 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. Ward, Braeli Martin (.338, six home runs, 29 RBIs) and Aubrey Peil (.429, four home runs, 20 RBIs) lead an offense that has scored a 6A-high 226 runs. … No. 4 Dallas rolled past Central 12-2 in five innings in a key 5A Mid-Willamette Conference game May 1. The host Dragons (12-5, 7-1) avenged a 6-3 loss at Central (13-5, 8-1) on April 11, handing the Panthers their first conference loss. Riley Halligan went 2 for 3 with three RBIs and Harlow Nelson went 2 for 3 with an RBI, giving her nine hits and six RBIs in the last three games. Madison Ruman struck out 12 in five innings, allowing three hits. …
No. 5 North Medford (15-4, 10-2) still holds the lead over No. 9 Roseburg (16-5, 10-3) in the 6A Southwest Conference after the teams split a doubleheader May 2 on the Black Tornado's field. North Medford won the first game 6-0 as Julia Edwards tossed a three-hitter with four strikeouts, Maili Hamlin went 4 for 4 and Becca Tuivana went 3 for 3 with a double and two RBIs. Roseburg cruised to an 11-2 win in the second game. The Indians rapped 14 hits, getting four from Terra Singleton and three each from Ciera Singleton and Danika Opp. Cambria Bachmeier went 2 for 3 with a double and four RBIs. … Trailing rival Tualatin 4-1 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh May 2, Tigard got a three-run homer from Taylor Sirois and went on to win 5-4 in eight innings. … Caldera's Elle Morton had four homers and nine RBIs last week, helping the Wolfpack win two of three games.
jerryu@osaa.org
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