After a fourth place finish in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges north division the OC Rangers softball team clinched a birth to the NWAACC tournament for the fourth straight year.
The Rangers were scheduled to play their first game May 21, however due to heavy rainfall the game was postponed until the next day. The Rangers faced off against a tough Wenatchee Valley Community College; a team that defeated the Rangers 18-3 earlier this season.
But the Rangers have improved since then and were ready to play tough. The Rangers came out sluggish; not getting many hits and also had some errors in the field.
OC was able to produce just four hits and were unable to score, while Wenatchee scored six and defeated the Rangers 6-0.
“They were an all around tough team,” said pitcher Jacqui Bushor. “They executed things better than us and they had a tough pitcher we just had an off day.”
The Rangers were, of course disappointed with the loss, but were ready to come back the next day against a Centralia, a team the Rangers have beat in the past.
“We were not hitting and we fell flat once (Wenatchee) scored a few runs,” said coach Jessica Cabato. “We should have lost 2-0 but had a few errors, and we were ready to come back and beat Centralia.”
The rain continued to come down and the grounds crew for the tournament had used up three of the four tons of dirt they had in the first day. So while the Rangers were warming up to take on Centralia there was a coaches meeting.
“It was a very long walk back to my players from the coaches meeting,” said Cabato.
Because of the rain any team that lost their first game was out of the tournament, and the Rangers were done with out any chance of redemption, a very unfortunate way to end the season.
“We were all sad and frustrated,” said Bushor. “The sophomores cried and the coach cried. We were ready to come back and they stripped it, we lost one and were out.”
For the team and especially the sophomores it was very tough. They have been there for two years and this tournament is what they have worked so hard for, and to end their season, and maybe their softball career this year truly is a heartbreaker.
“I was devastated for them, Rikki (Picareillo) and Felitia (Buss) have been with me for two years,” said Cabato. “There were tears on my part and tears on the players’ part, telling them it was over was one of the toughest conversations I have ever had. It wasn’t fair, I didn’t even know ending it like this was even an option, it doesn’t feel right.”
In 11 years this hasn’t happened. There was not a back up location in case this happened.
“They said it’s never happened in 11 years but we live in Washington and Oregon, they needed to have a back up plan” said Cabato. “And not leave the coaches wondering what was going to happen, no one wanted to talk.”
The Rangers without a doubt feel that their season is unfinished, and are very disappointed, but do have eight potential returners and have their end of the season evaluations coming up.
“I already miss is it, its weird not having practice,” said Bushor. “It was a horrible way to end but life goes on there is not much you can do about it.”
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