PORTLAND – With a chance to make school history, Sherwood's softball team would not be denied Tuesday at No. 2 Jesuit in the semifinals of the 6A playoffs.
The third-seeded Bowmen shut down the Crusaders' red-hot offense and belted three home runs – including a grand slam by junior Maisy Schindler – to run away with a 7-0 victory. Sherwood will play in the state final for the first time ever Saturday when it meets No. 4 North Medford at the University of Oregon.
“We're going to go out harder than we've gone out this whole playoff year, and go try to win it all,” Schindler said.
In their only previous meeting this season, Sherwood (28-3) beat Jesuit 17-5 in five innings at home on April 2. But the Crusaders (25-6) entered Tuesday's game on fire, outscoring their three playoff opponents 43-1.
“We were all confident,” Schindler said. “We knew that we've won before, so they're the ones that need to change. They lost, so they needed to figure out how to beat us.”
Junior Jordyn Henderson got Sherwood started by ripping a home run to center field in the top of the third inning for a 1-0 lead. Then, in the fourth, the Bowmen broke it open.
Sophomore Parker Ayers hit a double to drive in freshman Berklee Henning, and four batters later, Schindler crushed a shot to center field for a grand slam to make it 6-0.
“That just kind of sealed the deal,” Schindler said. “We knew from there, yeah, we've got this in the bag, no matter what. It gave us some great energy that made us make great plays.”
Freshman Presley Sarono-Ramos added a solo shot to left field in the fifth inning to push the lead to 7-0. Sarono-Ramos said she picked up on Schindler's energy.
“Me and her are in synch,” Sarono-Ramos said. “It's like, when she goes yard, then I go yard.”
Senior Destiny Cornwell and Sarono-Ramos combined to shut out Jesuit on five hits. Cornwell pitched the first two innings and the last 1 2/3 innings, giving up three hits and striking out two. Sarono-Ramos tossed the middle 3 1/3 innings, allowing two hits and fanning six.
Cornwell and Sarono-Ramos have shared time in the circle in the last three playoff wins, including a combined 10-inning no-hitter in a 1-0 second-round win over Tigard.
“I feel really happy that she's there to help me and I'm there to help her,” Sarono-Ramos said. “It's just been a good situation.”
Sherwood first-year coach Kris Moore likes how the pitchers complement each other.
“It doesn't matter who's out there, they both can get girls out,” Moore said. “We have outstanding defense behind them. To hold Jesuit to zero runs is pretty incredible. I certainly didn't envision a shutout today. It's certainly beyond my expectations.”
Henning had two of Sherwood's six hits. Henderson's home run came off Jesuit junior starter Aubrey Rhodes. The home runs by Schindler and Sarono-Ramos came off junior Makena Boynay, who pitched the last four innings.
Sherwood exited the playoffs in the semifinals in 2023 and the quarterfinals in 2024, both times against eventual champion Sheldon and ace pitcher Payton Burnham. This time, the Bowmen – led by three four-year varsity players in Cornwell, catcher McKenna Parmalee and outfielder Camryn Wright – were all business.
“The seniors did a great job with the other girls, kind of reeling in their energy and focusing on something healthy, building each other up,” Moore said. “The team didn't let the excitement kind of paralyze them.”
The seniors motivated Sarono-Ramos.
“When I went out there, I played for my seniors because I did not want this to be their last game,” she said.
A look at Tuesday's other semifinal games:
6A
Trailing McMinnville 1-0 in the third inning, host North Medford erupted for nine runs with two outs and went on to a 9-2 victory. Becca Tuivanu got it started with a two-run double. The inning included a two-run homer by Kaelyn Russell-Tyler and a two-run double by Sadie Hall. Julia Edwards had an RBI single and tossed a complete game, allowing six hits, striking out one and walking two. The Black Tornado will play in the final for the first time since winning the 2017 title.
5A
Kassy Anderson hit a walk-off three-run homer to cap a six-run inning as Thurston outlasted Crater 18-15 in a battle between Midwestern League rivals. Crater scored three runs in the top of the seventh to lead 15-12, but the Colts answered with six runs after having two outs and nobody on base. Kendall Miller walked to drive in the first run, Daphnie Heckel hit a two-run double to tie 15-15, and Anderson smacked a line-drive homer to left field to win it. Heckel (5 for 5) and Anderson each had two homers and five RBIs. Miller and Gaby Montes also went deep for Thurston. Crater's Amanda Hammer hit a two-run homer in the first inning and a grand slam in the sixth. … No. 1-seeded Ridgeview secured its first finals berth since winning the 2019 title with a 6-2 victory over visiting Canby. Brezlyn Hagemeister recorded the win in the circle, giving up seven hits, striking out 11 and walking three. The Ravens had nine hits, getting two hits each from Hagemeister and leadoff hitter Kinnedy Scott (two RBIs). Ridgeview capitalized on three Canby errors in building a 6-0 lead in the fourth inning.
4A
St. Helens ousted reigning champion Pendleton 9-0 behind pitcher Emeline Curaming, who scattered eight hits, struck out five and walked two. Halli Heys had a home run and two RBIs and Maddy Lahey and Addi Andrehsen drove in two runs each for the Lions. Buckaroos starter Kendall Murphy gave up eight runs on six hits in 3 1/3 innings before yielding to Reese Furstenberg. … Astoria knocked out La Grande 9-4. Kya Lindell hit a three-run triple in the fourth inning, and Aryana Adams hit a three-run homer in the fourth as the Fishermen scored all nine of their runs on six hits in the fourth. Maddie Wilkin allowed four runs on six hits, striking out seven and walking two. For La Grande, Maddie Seavert hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning. Seavert, Carlee Strand and Marti Anderson all hit doubles. Strand took the loss, allowing nine runs on six hits with five strikeouts and five walks.
3A
Host Dayton turned back Special District 3 rival Yamhill-Carlton 5-4. Gabby Chupp hit a two-run homer and Lou Auvil and Lillie Brooks each went 2 for 4 for the Pirates. Charly Upmeyer got the start in the circle for Dayton and was relieved by Chupp in the sixth inning. Yamhill-Carlton trailed 5-1 but rallied, getting RBI hits by Taylor Bradfield in the fifth inning and Ella Amerson and Addison Tuning in the sixth inning to draw within 5-4. … Meagan Trissell's two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning lifted top-seeded Scio over reigning champion South Umpqua 7-6 in a rematch of last year's state final. Loggers slugger Myleigh Cooper drew four walks, but she earned the win in the circle, fanning 12. Cam Dalke also homered for Scio. The Lancers trailed 5-1 but took the lead with a five-run sixth inning. Danika Richardson (4 for 4) and Mady Pratt hit home runs for South Umpqua.
2A/1A
Two-time reigning champion Grant Union, seeded ninth, advanced to the championship game for the fourth year in a row with a 10-4 win at No. 4 Salem Academy. Savannah Watterson went 4 for 5 with two home runs and four RBIs and Addy Northway had three hits for the Prospectors, who had 14 hits. Northway earned the complete-game victory in the circle. Salem Academy's Addi Bennett went 2 for 4. … Weston-McEwen, runner-up the last two years, earned another shot at winning its first title by downing North Douglas 2-1. Ava Sams singled to drive in Kylie Kramer with the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth. Sams went 2 for 2 with a double and two RBIs and Kramer went 3 for 3 with a double. Bre Ward pitched a no-hitter with 15 strikeouts and seven walks, allowing an unearned run. Brooklyn Cyr allowed five hits for North Douglas, striking out eight and walking one. Weston-McEwen threw out a runner at third base to send the game.
jerryu@osaa.org
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