No. 15 Lakeridge goes down swinging in 6A softball first round to No. 18 South Medford

Lakeridge was eliminated in the first round of the 2024 6A Oregon high school softball state tournament on Monday, falling to South Medford 10-5 at Lakeridge High School.

The No. 18 Panthers set the tone early with a threatening first frame, recording two hits while the Pacers walked a single run home but avoided further damage.

From there, both teams traded scoreless frames until the pivotal fourth inning, where South Medford scored five runs to take a firm, 6-0 grasp on the game.

First, junior Shelby Hillyer got aboard with a lead-off single, then junior Hanna Turpin walked before fellow junior Maleyah Thoele scored two runs with a hard-hit double to centerfield. Then, senior Kaycee Hudson tripled to score Thoele before fellow senior Nicole Ledendecker, the Panthers starting pitcher, launched a two-run home run over the fence in centerfield to take a 6-0 lead.

Unfortunately for the No. 15 Pacers, South Medford’s lead grew in the top of the fifth, when an outfield error allowed senior Brianna Turrey to score and make it 7-0.

Lakeridge would punch back in the bottom of the fifth, as junior Marin LaFrance got aboard with a one-out single and fellow senior Lauren Beach followed her up with a double down the left field line, bringing the score to 7-1.

After another scoreless inning, the Panthers’ extended their lead yet again in the top of the seventh, as Turrey led off with a single, Hillyer followed suit, and Turpin connected on a back-breaking three-run home run.

Trailing 10-1, Lakeridge made sure to go down swinging in the bottom of the seventh, recording four runs to claw back into contention before ultimately being shut away by Ledendecker and South Medford.

First, senior Delaney Hoyle and LaFrance recorded one-out walks. Then, LaFrance was forced out at second on a fielder’s choice, while senior Lauren Beach reached first. From there, junior Finley Dickson was walked before senior Elayna Jansen knocked a crowd-pleasing, two-out grand slam over the fence in center field to bring the score to 10-5.

Ledendecker ultimately closed out the game with a strikeout, completing the road upset for the Panthers. The senior pitched seven complete innings while striking out eight batters.

Hoyle also played a complete game for Lakeridge, striking out four batters. Meanwhile, Jansen led the Pacers with three hits and four runs batted in.

With the loss, Lakeridge is eliminated from the postseason while South Medford advances to take on Sheldon on Wednesday.