Outlaws conclude successful season

Published 10:28 am Tuesday, May 31, 2022

ENTERPRISE — Rilyn Kirkland homered three times and finished with five RBIs, powering the Wallowa Valley softball team to a victory in a high-scoring first-round playoff game against Dayton on Wednesday, May 25, 9-7, for its first state playoff game victory in eight years.

Kirkland finished the day 4-for-4 and added a double in the win. She also scored four times. The senior accounted for roughly half of the team’s offense on her own, as she had four of the team’s nine hits and runs, and had five of eight RBIs credited to the Outlaws.

Abby Straight added two RBIs, Cooper Nave had two hits and Liz Rowley scored twice for the Outlaws.

The last time the program won a playoff game in softball was in 2014, a 6-5 victory earned over Santiam Christian. The team lost in the quarterfinals that year, interestingly, to Dayton.

Rowley tossed a complete game in earning the playoff victory despite a rough day in the circle. The senior allowed seven runs on just five hits, walked eight and struck out four. Two of the runs were unearned.

On May 27, the Outlaws saw their season end with a 10-0 road loss in the quarterfinals to Yamhill-Carlton, the same team that eliminated Wallowa Valley from the playoffs in 2019.

Nave and Aimee Meyers had the only two hits for Wallowa Valley, while the Tigers had seven hits and scored 10 runs, six earned, off Rowley.

The Outlaws wrapped up the season with a final record of 20-8, the most wins for the program since going 23-5 in 2010.