The Lady Pro softball team welcomes Drew Williams across the plate following her solo home run during Grant Union/Prairie City’s 8-0 state quarterfinal win over Clatskanie on Friday, May 26, 2023 at the Seventh Street Sports Complex in John Day.

Grant Union/Prairie City 8, Clatskanie 0

The Grant Union/Prairie City Lady Prospector softball team is back in the state semifinals.

A pair of homers by Savannah Watterson and a solo shot by pitcher Drew Williams lifted the Lady Pros to an 8-0 victory over the visiting Clatskanie Lady Tigers on Friday, May 26, at the Seventh Street Sports Complex in John Day. The Lady Pros find themselves one game away from a return to the state finals following their second-place finish last year.

Watterson started the scoring, smashing a line drive over the center field wall to give the Lady Pros a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Watterson would help to increase that lead in the bottom of the third with an RBI double that brought catcher Addy Northway across the plate to give the Lady Pros a 2-0 lead after three innings.

The Lady Tigers attempted to rally in the top of the fourth. Clatskanie systematically loaded the bases with no outs as they looked to claw their way back into the quarterfinal game.

Hopes of a rally died with Williams. The junior ace pitcher struck out the next three Lady Tiger batters to get out of the jam and preserve the 2-0 Lady Pro lead.

Williams would come up big at the plate in the following inning, blasting a solo shot over the center field fence to give the Lady Pros a 3-0 lead. A Halle Parsons RBI single would bring the Lady Pro advantage to 4-0 headed into the sixth inning.

Watterson provided the coup de grace to Lady Tiger hopes in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs and the bases loaded, Watterson smashed her second homer of the day to give the Lady Pros an 8-0 lead with just the top of the seventh left for the Lady Tigers to rally.

Clatskanie would again put runners on base in the top of the seventh and Williams would again close the door, striking out the final two Lady Tiger batters to blunt the rally attempt and give the Lady Pros the 8-0 quarterfinal win.

Watterson was the leader on offense for the Lady Pros, finishing 3-4 at the plate with two home runs and six RBIs. Williams and Parsons each finished with an RBI for the Lady Pros.

The winner in the pitcher’s circle was Willams, who pitched the entire game, surrendering no runs on five hits while striking out 13 batters.

Grant Union/Prairie City head softball coach Zach Williams said the recent uptick in home runs isn’t something the team counts on, but the players know they are capable.

“Home runs are always a plus, and while we don’t necessarily count on them, we are capable all the way through the lineup. As the pitching velocity increases, the likelihood increases with it,” he said.

The Lady Pros will face the highest-seeded team left in the tournament other than themselves in third-seeded Kennedy.

“Kennedy will be tough, but we are ready and the girls are playing well. They are playing as a team, and our defense and pitching has been tough. Hitting is coming along at the right time, and I think we will be fine if we show up and play our game,” he explained.

“We have told the girls to keep playing as a team. Show up for each other and do the little things right. Have an approach at the plate and be focused,” he added.

The road to the state championship continues on Tuesday, May 30, when the Lady Pros welcome Kennedy to town with the winner booking a berth in the state championship game at Jane Sanders Stadium in Eugene on Friday, June 2. The semifinal matchup has a 3:30 p.m. start time.