Lady Pro outfielder Lilly Rockhill extends to make the catch during her team’s 5-2 state semifinal win over Kennedy on Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at the Seventh Street Sports Complex in John Day.

Grant Union/Prairie City 5, Kennedy 2

JOHN DAY — One year.

That’s how long the Grant Union/Prairie City Lady Prospector softball team waited for their chance at redemption. After falling short in the championship game last year, the team gets another shot at state supremacy following their 5-2 win over the Kennedy Lady Trojans in the state semifinal game on Tuesday, May 30, at the Seventh Street Sports Complex in John Day.

The game was mired in a scoreless deadlock until an RBI single from Halle Parsons brought Savannah Watterson across the plate for a 1-0 Lady Pro lead in the bottom of the third inning. That lead would swell to 3-0 following a double by Raney Anderson that brought Reece Jacobs and Parsons across home plate.

The Lady Pros weren’t done. An RBI double by Watterson and a fielder’s choice ground-out by Parsons gave the Lady Pros a 5-0 advantage at the end of the fifth inning.

The Lady Trojans would add a run in the top of the sixth to bring the score to 5-1. A scoreless bottom of the sixth for the Lady Pros left Kennedy with one last chance to fight back into the game.

For a brief time, it looked like the Lady Trojans would make a rally to save their season. Kennedy cut the deficit to three at 5-2 and had runners on second and third base in the top of the seventh.

The Lady Pros were having none of it. A fly-out to right fielder Lilly Rockhill secured the final out of the game and sent the Lady Pros to their second consecutive state softball final.

Parsons and Anderson led the Lady Pros offensively, with both logging a pair of RBIs in the game. Parsons finished 1-3 at the plate, and Anderson finished 1-2.

Drew Williams got the win in the circle for the Lady Pros, pitching the entire game. Williams allowed two runs on five hits while striking out 13 batters.

The win set up a state finals matchup for the Lady Pros with a team they’re very familiar with: league foe Weston-McEwen/Griswold. The Lady Tigerscots defeated top-seeded North Douglas and fourth-seeded Willamina on their way to the state finals.

The teams will face off on Friday, May 2, at Jane Sanders Field in Eugene. The game is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.