The Southern Oregon Coast Softball 18-and-under A team went 1-3 at the Oregon State Tournament in Hillsboro last weekend.

SOCS opened the tournament against Salem in the brutal heat of Hillsboro Stadium, sticking with the Lady Warriors until the seventh. SOCS went into that final inning down 3-2 and very much in the game, but the ballclub struggled defensively and Salem ran off six runs to win 9-2.

“Errors hurt us that first game,” said SOCS coach Jeri Young.

Amanda Volgarino had a double, a home run and a run scored in the game, and Brittney Young also scored a run.

Errors were a factor for SOCS in the second game versus the Hillsboro Thunder, as well. But the team kept things close with solid play at the plate, out-hitting Hillsboro 9-8 but ultimately losing 8-4 after giving up a three-run seventh.

Volgarino had two homers and four RBIs in the game.

SOCS had seven errors in the first game and five in the second.

SOCS found its stride in the third game of the tourney, shoring things up defensively en route to a 3-0 win against the Oregon Tigers of McMinnville, scoring runs in the second and fourth innings.

Katherine Zuber and Kirsten Emigh tallied doubles in the win, and they both had runs scored in the game, along with Jessica Ott.

But by the fourth game SOCS ran out of gas, withering in the heat against one of the best teams it had faced all summer, the Eugene Lightning. SOCS fell 12-1 in the matchup, using all three of the squad’s pitchers — Emigh, Molly Hockema and Alyssa Bergquist — and giving up eight runs in the first inning.

Volgarino led the way from the plate over the weekend, racking up a .545 batting average, three home runs, a double, five RBIs and four runs scored. Hockema and Young had batting averages of .500 and .455, respectively, with Young scoring two runs and getting an RBI.

Hockema was also steady from the mound, giving up nine hits to 42 batters with a 0.0 ERA. She through 96 strikes on 145 pitches, logging five outs and one walk.

Next up for SOCS is a tournament in Junction City this weekend.

First Game

Lady Warriors 9, SOCS 3

Lady Warriors    011    010    6    —    9    14    1

SOCS    020    000    0    —    2    3    7

Ligna & Snider; Alyssa Bergquist, Molly Hockema (7) and Lauryn Lesina. 2B—War: Smith, Nordlensocs; SOCS: Amanda Volgarino 2B. HR—SOCS: Volgarino.

Second Game

Thunder 8, SOCS 4

Thunder    004    010    3    —    8    8    1

SOCS    010    003    0    —    4    9    5

Schriber and Dendinger; Kirsten Emigh and Lauryn Lesina. 2B—Thu: Allision, Vandenhaegen; HR—Thu: Hale. SOCS: Amanda Volgarino.

Third Game                                                                      

SOCS 3, Tigers 0

Tigers    000    000    0    —    0    8    2

SOCS    020    100    x    —    3    8    2

Jochum and Wulf; Hockema and Lauryn Lesina. 2B—SOCS: Kirsten Emigh, Katherine Zuber.   

Fourth Game

Lightning 12, SOCS 1

SOCS    000    10    —    1    5    4

Lightning    840    0x    —    12    12    1

Alyssa Bergquist, Kirsten Emigh (1), Molley Hockema and Lauryn Lesina; Mondale and Woolf. 2B—Peterson, Toy.