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Pirates win 5th State Title
With an 18-2 thumping of Greenleaf Saturday, May 19 at Caldwell, the Prairie Lady Pirates won their 5th state 1-A softball championship in the past 6 years. To get to the championship game Prairie beat Horseshoe Bend 15-0 and Troy 8-5 on Friday, May 18. She stole second and then stole third basically on the same play. She then scored on Savanah Prigge’s groundout to third, waiting for the ball to be thrown toward first and then taking off for home. 
After a second out MeShel Rad tripled when the centerfielder came in on the ball only to have it go over her head. She scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0. Leah Holthaus pitched for Prairie and gave up a 2-out double and a walk in the first inning but got out of the jam with a strikeout. In the second inning an error led to a leadoff baserunner but 2 pop-ups and a strikeout got Prairie out of the inning. In the bottom of the second Monica Lustig reached on an error and stole second. Kendall Schumacher was then hit by a pitch. After an out the first pitch to Taylor Nuxoll got past the catcher with both runners advancing. The second pitch to Nuxoll wasn’t anywhere close to the plate and Lustig scored. On the fourth pitch Nuxoll tripled to right to score Schumacher. Sigler then singled up the middle to score Nuxoll and advanced to second on the throw in to the pitcher. A groundout advanced her to third and she made it 6-0 when Tanna Schlader reached on an error by the third baseman. Holthaus got into another jam in the top of the third as Horseshoe Bend loaded the bases with just 1 out on an error and 2 singles. She got out of it thanks to some bad baserunning. The next batter struck out but the ball got away from Rad, the catcher. With first base occupied and less than 2 outs the batter is out but the runner from third came home thinking she was forced to. Rad was able to retrieve the ball and the runner never got within 10 feet of home as Rad tagged her out to end the inning. Things fell completely apart for Horseshoe Bend in the bottom of the third. Rad led off with a double down the left field line. Mckenzie Rieman singled to third and Lustig tripled to left to score both runners. Schumacher reached on an error with Lustig scoring. After an out the pitcher hit the next 3 batters, the third with the bases loaded giving Prigge an RBI as Schumacher scored. Two wild pitches to Rad allowed 2 more runs to score and Rad grounded out to short with Prigge scoring. Rieman then singled to right center to score Schlader. Another error and a single by Schumacher enabled Rieman to score to make it 15-0 before the inning finally ended after 14 batters went to the plate. After playing the top of the fourth where Holthaus worked around a leadoff double with the help of a great catch in left field by Lustig, Horseshoe Bend conceded the game to Prairie. Prairie had 7 hits in the game with Rad collecting a triple and double and an RBI. Lustig had a triple and 2 RBI while Nuxoll had a triple and an RBI. Rieman had 2 singles and an RBI. Schumacher had a single and 2 RBI and Sigler had a single and an RBI and scored 3 runs. Prigge had a pair of RBI. Holthaus allowed 4 hits and 1 walk and struck out 4 in tossing a 4-inning shutout. Oddly, each of her strikeouts ended an inning. H.B. 0 0 0 0— 0 4 4 Prairie 2 4 9 x—15 7 2  Sigler
got the pitching nod against Troy despite struggling against them the past
two years with a 0-2 record.
Two singles and two walks in the first inning gave Troy a 1-0 lead but Prairie got out of further trouble as Troy left the bases loaded. Prairie had 2 singles in each of the first 2 innings but wasn’t able to score. They tied it in the third inning when Sigler led off with a single to left and scored on Prigge’s double to the gap in left center. Troy took back the lead in the bottom of the fourth on a leadoff, pinch-hit single and a triple that made it 1-2. Prairie tied the score at 2-2 in the fifth when Schlader led off with a triple to the left field corner and scored on Rad’s groundout to second. Prairie took their first lead of the game in the sixth inning. Holthaus reached on a 1-out bunt single. Nuxoll then grounded to short but the second baseman wasn’t covering and the throw to first was late. After a second out Prigge singled up the middle to score both runners. Schlader followed with an infield single and Troy started throwing the ball around and 2 throwing errors later Prigge had scored and Schlader was on third. Rad then singled to left to score Schlader and give Prairie a 6-2 lead. In the seventh Prairie added a couple of insurance runs as Schumacher beat out an infield single deep in the hole at short. Andrea Kaschmitter went in to run for Schumacher. Holthaus then laid down and beat out her third straight bunt single. After a second out, Sigler reached when the first baseman was pulled off the bag on an infield grounder. That loaded the bases for Prigge who blooped a single behind the third baseman that scored both Kaschmitter and Holthaus to give Prairie an 8-2 lead. In the bottom of the seventh Sigler got a strikeout to start the inning but then Troy got to her for a single and 2 doubles that scored a pair of runs. After a second out a single to right plated another run. After another single Troy brought the tying run to the plate but a ground ball to short saw Holthaus toss to Rieman at third for a forceout to end the game. Prairie pounded out 16 hits against Troy with Prigge collecting 4 of them, a double and 3 singles, and 5 RBI. Schlader had a triple and 2 singles while Holthaus had 3 bunt singles. Lustig had a pair of singles with one of those being a bunt single. Sigler, Rad, Rieman and Schumacher each added a single with Rad having 2 RBI. Sigler gave up 11 hits with 5 walks and 3 strikeouts as she picked up her first ever win against Troy. Prairie 0 0 1 0 1 4 2—8 16 0 Troy 1 0 0 1 0 0 3—5 11 5 
Prairie lost the coin flip for home team but made sure Greenleaf didn’t carry any momentum from their win over Troy into the championship game as they jumped all over the Grizzlies in the top of the first inning. Sigler led off with a single, stole second and went to third on a passed ball. Prigge then hit what should have been a sacrifice fly to right but the fielder dropped the ball and Prigge wound up on first as Sigler scored. Schlader then tripled to the fence in center to score Prigge. Rad beat out an infield single as Schlader scored. Rad then stole second and went to third as the catcher’s throw got away. After a pair of outs, Schumacher blooped a single into second that scored Rad. Holthaus then beat out her 4th straight bunt hit. The first baseman threw over to third to try and get Schumacher but the ball got away for an error as Schumacher scored and Holthaus was able to advance all the way to third. Nuxoll then singled to left to score Holthaus. Sigler then hit a looping single that landed in front of the left fielder and went to second as the throw went to third. A passed ball scored Nuxoll and Sigler advanced to third. When the toss back to the pitcher to try and catch Nuxoll got away, Sigler came in to score. They all would’ve scored anyway as Prigge followed with an inside the park home run to deep right center. An infield single by Schlader and 2 more errors led to 2 more runs as Prairie put up an 11-spot in the first inning. Greenleaf was able to answer back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first on a walk, single and 2 errors but that was all they would get off of Sigler. Over the final 4 innings Sigler allowed just 1 hit and 2 walks with no more than one baserunner an inning. Meanwhile Prairie added a run in the third and 6 more in the fourth to put the game way out of reach. In the third Schlader led off with a double to center. She advanced to third when Rad’s fly ball to center was dropped for an error. Rieman grounded to third and Schlader was thrown out trying to score with Rad advancing to third. Lustig then executed a squeeze bunt as Rad waited until the throw was made toward first before coming in to score and make it 12-2. In the fourth Holthaus was thrown out trying to bunt her way on again but the next two hitters, Nuxoll and Sigler, were walked. After a second out, Schlader singled off of the second baseman to score both runners. Rad and Rieman walked to load the bases. Lustig then grounded to third but the third baseman threw the ball past first allowing 2 runs to score. Schumacher then singled up the middle to score 2 more runs and make it 18-2. In the top of the fifth Prairie coach Jeff Martin started subbing in his reserves as pinch-hitters with Jessica Kaschmitter drawing a walk and Ashley Cannon and Cheryl Gehring each picking up a single to load the bases. A double play kept any more runs from scoring. With a 6-run cushion for a mercy rule win, Sigler allowed a lead off walk but then got 3 straight outs to end the game. Prairie had 16 hits in the game as Schlader went 4 for 4 with a triple, double and 2 singles and 3 RBI. Sigler, Schumacher, Holthaus and Nuxoll had 2 singles each with Schumacher having 3 RBI and Nuxoll 1 RBI. Prigge had a homer and 2 RBI while Rad had a single and an RBI. Cannon and Gehring each added a single. Sigler allowed just 2 hits and 2 runs, only 1 earned, with 3 walks and 2 strikeouts and joins Sammi Frei as a winner of 2 state championship games. Prairie finishes the season with a 19-5 record. Prairie 11 0 1 6 0—18 16 2 Greenleaf 2 0 0 0 0— 0 2 7 State records set or tied The Prairie Lady Pirates set or tied a few state records in this year’s state tournament. These records cover the years since the IHSAA took over the tournament in 2009. In team records they set the record for average runs per game of 13.6 (41 runs in 3 games), breaking Genesee’s record of 11.3 from 2010. They tied the record of most runs in a game of 18 that was set by Genesee last year. They also tied their own record for most shutouts with 1 from 2010. Savanah Prigge set a new record for RBI with 9, braking the record of 7 set by Erin Ghiglieri of Genesee in 2009. Tanna Schlader tied the record for most triples in the tournament with 2. That record was set last year by both Megan Sigler of Prairie and Brooke Dahmen of Genesee. Prigge tied the record from home runs with 1. It was set by Ghiglieri of Genesee and Hailey Paulsen of Greenleaf in 2010. Paulsen also had one in 2011.
This was just after the catch above as Monica Lustig hits the ground and hangs on to the ball despite a little ice cream cone action. At left shortstop Megan Sigler celebrates her teammate's catch. 
MeShel Rad goes after a foul pop-up in the Troy game. Prairie Softball 2012 March 15—vs. Highland (@ Lewiston), 3:30 p.m., won 4-1 19—vs. Kellogg (@ Lewiston) (2), 3:30 p.m. won 15-10, 13-1 23—at New Plymouth (1), 2:00 MT, lost 5-7, won 6-4 24—at Centennial JV (2), 10 a.m., lost 13-14, won 13-3 26—at Orofino (1), 4:30 p.m., postponed due to weather, not rescheduled as of yet 17—vs. Genesee (@Lewiston), 4:45 p.m. won 16-1 19—Orofino (1), here, 4:30 p.m., lost 2-6 20—vs. Potlatch at Lewiston (2), won 18-0, 13-3 21—vs. Troy (@Lewiston) (2), 11 a.m., lost 8-14, won 9-5 23—Grangeville (1+1), here, 4 p.m., won 11-1 24—at Timberline (1+1), 4 p.m., postponed due to rain, rescheduled to May 4 26—Highland, here, 4 p.m., postponed due to rain, rescheduled to May 8 30—at Orofino, 4:30 p.m., rescheduled from 3/26- cancelled due to rain, will not be made up. 4—at Timberline, 4 p.m., rained out, Timberline forfeited to Prairie rather than make it up 7—at Grangeville, (1+1), 4 p.m.-cancelled so that league game against Genesee can be made up. 8—Highland, here, 4 p.m., won 9-8 in 9 innings 11 &12—Districts (@Lewiston), won 11-0 over Highland and 11-1 over Genesee - District Champs! 18 & 19—State (@Caldwell), won 15-0 over Horsehoe Bend, 8-5 over Troy and 18-2 over Greenleaf - State Champs!!! |
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