The seniors of Wilsonville softball came into this season with one collective goal: to win the league. A 2024 league championship would mean four consecutive league championships for this class. In other words, a league championship for each year they played.
In the first round of the league, Wilsonville started hot, beating Centennial, Parkrose, La Salle, and Canby. The league looked to be there from the start. However, Wilsonville then took on the Hood River Eagles, a relatively new addition to the Northwest Oregon Conference (NWOC).
The Eagles were 3-1 before the Wilsonville matchup. It’s safe to say that Wilsonville did not play their best in this game. The bats were somber, and the defense had to adapt to a rocky dirt field after three games on turf. Unfortunately, this game ended with a walk-off from the Eagles, who took the game 4-3 and snatched Wilsonville’s chance of going undefeated.
This tough loss opened the running back up for the league between Wilsonville, La Salle, Canby, and Putnam. Fortunately for Wilsonville, the Wildcats learned from this heart-wrenching loss and worked hard to come out better than ever in their next games.
It was clear that this loss made Wilsonville hungry for revenge and winning. The Wildcats did not lose a game for the rest of the league competition. With a few scares from Putnam, Centennial, and La Salle, Wilsonville still came out on top. After a dominating win against Hillsboro on 5/14, the Wildcats had successfully clinched their fourth league championship in a row.
“It feels amazing to win league for the fourth year in a row. I am glad we kept the same mindset and goal through all four years, even with important roles in our team graduating,” said senior third baseman Grace Wilson.
“It’s exactly what we were hoping for. For us seniors, it was a goal to have that as our big accomplishment and to hold our legacy over these past years. I am really proud of us,” added senior first baseman Talia Valdez
Wilsonville had a very successful season, scoring 191 runs and only allowing 84 behind a great defense and the pitching duo of Mia Rucker and Paige Hibbard.
The Wildcats secured the #7 seed for the playoffs via OSAA and faced Corvallis in the first round, which they narrowly won 5-4. The Wildcats will travel to Bend High School on 5/24 to play the #2 seed.