The Philomath High School softball team could not keep pace with Stayton in a 19-3 loss in three innings on Thursday afternoon at Warrior Field.
The visitors erupted for 16 runs in the second inning alone to strengthen their hold on second place in the Oregon West Conference. The top two teams earn automatic berths into the Class 4A playoffs. Cascade leads the pack with a 12-0 record with the Eagles second at 9-2 and Sweet Home a distant third at 6-6.
Philomath, meanwhile, is currently in a battle with Newport for fourth place in the league standings. The Warriors are sitting at 3-8 in the conference and have games remaining at Cascade on Monday, at Newport on Tuesday and at home for a Senior Night game against North Marion on May 21.
In Thursday’s game, the Warriors (8-10 overall) had a promising start by holding the high-powered Eagles to a single run in the first inning. Stayton’s offense is averaging 11 runs per game in league play this season…