Oran gets better of host Delta in Class 1

DELTA -- The Oran softball team found its offense in the Class 1 District 1 softball tournament.

Now the Eagles will try to use their bats to win a state playoff game for the first time.

Oran, playing fall softball for only the second season, repeated as district champions Saturday afternoon, thumping top-seeded Delta 8-1.

Claire Seyer scattered five hits for the victory and was backed by an errorless defensive effort, but Oran's hitting was the story. The Eagles reached double digits in hits for the second straight game to slug their way out of a late-season slump.

"Honestly, I expected it to be really close," Oran first baseman Halle Woodfin said. "But when I saw how pumped up we were when we got here, it didn't surprise me that we did get up first."

Woodfin, who finished the tournament with a team-best five hits -- four of them doubles -- in two games, had two hits Saturday and drove in the Eagles' first run. In fact, her RBI single to left field resulted in a fielding error by Amanda Seabaugh that allowed Oran to plate a second run on the play. Seyer's bloop basehit drove in Woodfin to make the score 3-0 before Delta came to bat.

"That set the tone for the rest of the game," Delta coach Laura Brown said of the first inning.

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com Delta's Rachel Bartels scores during the seventh inning past Oran catcher Amanda Williams in their Class 1 District 1 title game Saturday at Delta.

Oran added two more in the third, taking advantage of two walks from Delta pitcher Kendra Burnett and RBI singles by Courtney Scheeter and Taylor Irwin.

Taylor Tenkhoff hammered a two-out triple to right field to drive in two more runs in the sixth, and she came in to score on an error with Oran coach Sara Heisserer following her down the baseline.

"I get into the game a little bit," Heisserer said. "I get excited."

With the way the Eagles are hitting, she has reason to be excited and optimistic about Wednesday's 4 p.m. sectional game against Norwood at Norwood.

The Eagles produced 11 runs on 15 hits Friday to rally past Naylor and had 11 hits Saturday against Burnett, who had allowed just one hit in a semifinal shutout against Chaffee.

"Yesterday, we scored 11 and I didn't know if it was a fluke or we got lucky, but the girls have been hitting really well," Heisserer said. "That's the one thing we've been focusing on because some of them have been in a slump, but it was nice to seem them come out of their shell a little bit. I knew we had that potential."

Oran (11-7) had lost three of its final four regular-season games, but that included getting no-hit by Danielle Dock of Class 2 district champion Kelly and having just three hits against Amanda Nichols of Class 4 district finalist Central.

A 7-1 loss at home to Delta also was in the mix.

"I had been in a big rut before I got here," Woodfin said. "I told myself, 'Don't worry about killing it. Just make contact and it will go where it needs to go.'"

Irwin, who scored a run and drove in a run, and Seyer joined Woodfin in having two hits.

Brown said the hitters were helped by "an incredibly tight strike zone" that affected both pitchers.

"I knew I had to hit the corners today because they're a good-hitting team," Burnett said, "but I had to put it on a tee for them."

She allowed at least one hit in every inning but the last.

Seyer did walk four in addition to allowing the five hits. She had eight strikeouts and was helped by two catches in right field by Rachel Moore and a double play by Scheeter in the sixth inning.

"She really helped me out because I was struggling in that inning," Seyer said.

Delta's Taylor Smith and Taylor Keys had opened the frame with singles, but No. 3 hitter Burnett grounded to Scheeter, who tagged Keys and spun around and threw to first. After Seyer walked the next two batters, she ended the threat herself with a strikeout.

Delta (15-9) scored its run in the seventh on a fielder's choice with Seabaugh's double setting the table.

"We just went through the motions," Brown said, "and this isn't the time to just go through the motions. It's a shame to play so hard for so long and show up one day and forget to bring your mind game along with your whole physical game.

"I guess we'll try again next year."

The Bobcats are the last team to come through District 1 and win a sectional game, but that took place back in 2001.

Miller has dominated area teams the last four years, including a shutout win against Oran last year.

Heisserer said the experience of last year would help, "especially knowing we don't have to play Miller in the first round," due to a change in the brackets.

"As long as our bats are still there, that will be a key factor," she added. "Come out and hit the ball and put it into play. Just do the little things and everything will fall into place."

Oran 302 003 0 -- 8 11 0

Delta 000 000 1 -- 1 5 2

WP -- Claire Seyer. LP -- Kendra Burnett. 2B -- Halle Woodfin (O), Amanda Seabaugh (D). 3B -- Taylor Tenkhoff (O). Multiple hits -- Oran: Taylor Irwin 2-4, Woodfin 2-4, Seyer 2-3; Delta: Taylor Smith 2-4. Records -- Oran 11-7, Delta 15-9.