With SATs coming up the following day, both Auburn Riverside softball and baseball teams had their own little pre-test on the diamond. Neither side got all the answers right, but found their own formulas for what problems are to come throughout the rest of regular season.

Auburn Riverside fastpitch fell 10-3 against Montesano on March 25, while just minutes later, the baseball team couldn’t rally late against Tahoma in an 8-1 loss.

Fastpitch Head Coach Bryce Strand knew it was going to be a challenge as Montesano last season was the number one seed in the 1A state tournament and took home fourth place.

“They were just better than us offensively. I thought we didn’t do a great job at the plate. We just had way too many strikeouts. Violet Prince was doing things whether movement or whatever, and we didn’t make good adjustments,” Strand said.

The Ravens only managed three hits across the seven-inning contest, coming from two players.

In the circle to start was Danica Butler, arguably one of the best pitchers in the state. Butler has been working back from an arm injury, but made her debut against the Bulldogs. Granted she was on a pitch count — she finished three innings, allowing one run that was earned and one hit, while striking out seven of her nine outs.

“She got ahead of a lot of batters, which was good. That was kind of her bug-a-boo last year. I think it really just brought our team a lift to see her back out there. She was jacked up,” Strand said.

Auburn Riverside was down 6-0 after Butler’s innings in the circle were done. But the Ravens showed some fight with a three spot in the bottom of the fifth inning to cut the lead in half. Seneca Aarstad reached on an error that scored a run while Butler hit a two run double for the Ravens biggest hit of the game.

“I’m proud, even in those last two innings we got kids on base. We just couldn’t get that big hit to narrow the gap,” Strand said.

Butler and Aarstad can carry an offense, an offense that took and won the 3A state championship a year ago.

“Those are two veteran kids right there, they’ve played a lot of big-time ball. Those are two kids who have been there before and the moment is never too big for them,” Strand said.

Out of the bullpen Kylee Curtis threw 1.1 innings allowing two hits and no runs. That is a big win for the young freshman in a big moment against a dangerous hitting team.

“Kylie is a strike throwing machine. She does a great job throwing strikes, when she hits spots, she’s tough, real savvy pitcher. She’s just gotta believe in herself, these girls show how much they believe in her,” Strand said.

Baseball action

On the baseball side, it was a bit of the opposite. Despite losing by seven, the Ravens actually out-hit Tahoma, 4-2, but a sixth inning that saw six runs come across killed any momentum the Ravens thought they could muster.

“I think we have lots of potential. I’m not surprised by that. I have a group of veteran guys that have been with me for a long time. I think we have just yet to play our best baseball,” Manager Brad Comstock said.

Taking the ball in game one was Cameron Bain for skipper Brad Comstock. and for five and one-third innings, Bain was having his way with the Tahoma lineup.

“He held his own tonight,” Comstock said.

Bain retired the first nine hitters he faced, and in the fourth Tahoma got their first runs of the game. A walk and two passed balls put a runner on third base that scored on a wild pitch. A second walk and a wild pitch put runners on first and third, and the Bears took advantage of the Ravens sleeping on defense to score the second run of the game.

“You got to play clean baseball against good teams. They got two hits and beat us 8-1,” Comstock said.

Two runs on no hits, let alone balls in play.

The most frustrating part for the Ravens, on a night full of moments on a knife’s edge, was leaving runners on base. Auburn Riverside left seven runners on base, four in scoring position, and hit into a pair of double plays.

“The message is just trust the process. We are doing the right things. We had a couple hard-hit balls tonight,” Comstock said.

The sixth inning was an inning to forget for the Ravens. Six runs came across on just two hits, five walks, an error and hit by pitch. Bain walked three and hit a batter, while freshman Evan Walker walked two before recording the final out.

Baseball also had a freshman step up against Tahoma in Braydon Rudolph. The ninth grade third baseman went 2-2 with a walk, tallying half of the Ravens’ hits against the Bears. Granted he made a mistake on the base paths, getting picked off first base. He has made his mark on this Raven team.

Rudolph is one of three freshmen that Comstock believes will make a lot of impact on the program this year and in the years to come.

“That’s a pretty impressive night. I got a good little group of freshmen, they are pretty good ball players,” Comstock said.

Fastpitch takes on Auburn on the road on March 27 while baseball takes on Tahoma in game two of the two game series March 26.

Seneca Aarstad celebrates a double in the first inning. Ben Ray / The Reporter

Caleb Anardi runs to touch first base after fielding a groundball. Ben Ray / The Reporter