Hermiston’s Paige Long, seen here pitching earlier in the year, did most of her damage with the bat this season for Hermiston. The sophomore hit .390 with eight home runs to lead the Dawgs to the state quarterfinals, and to earn the All-Herald Team Player of the Year award.

Heres the second installment of the All-Herald team series, and while a little less involved than its baseball counterpart due to not as many players to pick from, it is by no means less impressive.

The same criteria applies to this team as it did to the baseball team, and I will do a football and volleyball team when fall rolls around as well as both boys and girls basketball when the time comes.

Anyway, back to softball.

With the player pool a little smaller to draw from in the area, since Umatilla wasnt able to field a team this year, there are more same-school selections, especially on the first team. After going over all the statistical information I had, plus notes from games and my trusty memory, I feel confident that this is an accurate portrayal of the best players in the area.

Two teams went to state playoffs this season Hermiston and Pendleton. While the Dawgs had the talent, and really probably should have played in the state championship game, the Bucks peaked at the right time and rode the arm of Kristen Crawford to the title game.

West Albany, the team that defeated Hermiston with a heart-breaking, morale-crushing seventh-inning rally in the quarterfinals, ended up winning the state championship with a 7-6 win over the Bucks.

If the Bucks dont commit six errors, they win that game. Hermiston won the season series with Pendleton, 3-1. So what does that say about Hermiston? It says they are really good, and while they lose one (but important) senior from this years team in Hanna Findley, the Dawgs will be back in the state championship hunt next year. But guess what? So will Pendleton. They lose two to graduation, McKayla McKay and Beca McGrath.

It will be a wild ride in the CRC next spring, I guarantee it.

Now heres the team of area players Id put out on the field against anyone else in the state.

Player of the Year

Paige Long, Hermiston

While not named the Columbia River Conference player of the year, I still feel like Long didnt quite get the credit she really deserved. She hit .381 with eight home runs this season, and while she didnt drive in a ton of runs (16), she led the team in categories like slugging percentage (.841) and on-base plus slugging (an astounding 1.328), so not only was she getting on base for her teammates to drive her in, she was doing some of the run-producing herself.

Early in the year, Long had to be a fill-in starter for ace pitcher Megann Galloway-Cooley as she battled injury. While in the circle, which isnt Longs position of choice, Long won six games in 59 innings pitched.

Her real value, however, proved to be at the plate. In a resurgent year for the Hermiston bats, Long led the way and will be able to build upon what amounted to a very good sophomore season. I anticipate a move over to shortstop next season with the graduation of Findley, and I feel thats where she belongs and will thrive there.

Coach of the Year

Tom Bequette, Hermiston

There werent many people who thought the Hermiston softball could be contenders and relevant after last season, but Bequette brought his winning attitude and proven system back to where he won six IMC championships during his first stint in purple and gold.

The main area of the game where the Dawgs improved was offensively. He took a team that hit five home runs all of last year and cranked out 21 dingers this season.

The team had a batting average of .356 with 156 RBIs, and they were the highest-scoring Class 5A in the state for most of the season.

It wasnt a miracle Bequette was able to do this because the talent was there, but he was able to refine it and get every ounce of ability out of his club.

The Dawgs made it to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002, when another Bequette-coached team made it all the way to the semifinals. With playoff wins against Wilsonville and Mountain View, Bequette put Hermiston back where it belongs in the hunt for a state title.

Im sure Bequette is chomping at the bit to get his club back on the field next season; hes going to have a heck of a squad to work with.

Pitchers

Kristen Crawford, Pendleton

Megann Galloway-Cooley, Hermiston

Both young hurlers will have another year to impress the masses, and the duo certainly did that this year.

Crawford went 16-7 and was the hard-luck loser in the state title game, but she threw a dandy of a game. She went all seven inning with seven strikeouts and one walk. Two of the seven runs West Albany scored off her were earned.

For the year, Crawford struck out 107 hitters and boasted a 1.66 ERA, which earned her a share of the CRC Co-Pitcher of the Year award with The Dalles Wahtonkas Chelan Guischer.

Shes just a junior, too, so I dont see too many runs being scored when the Dawgs and Bucks meet next season.

Galloway-Cooley emerged late in the season after dealing with nagging injuries, but was rock-solid from the circle.

She went 8-3 and while her ERA wasnt very glamorous at 3.23, it didnt have to be because Hermiston plated so many runs.

She had six complete games and appeared in almost every game Hermiston had at 22.

More of a finesse pitcher, Cooley sat down 60 hitters in 91 innings pitcher while she gave up 42 earned runs.

But with another of improvement, which she did remarkably well at during the course of this season, shell be one of the premier pitchers in Class 5A and will help the Dawgs make a run for the whole enchilada come next June.

First base

Beca McGrath, Pendleton

After her 4 for 4 performance at the plate in the state championship game, this was a pretty easy pick. Anytime a player can perform like that in a big game, shes one of the best around.

She almost hit .400 this season, .398 to be exact, and was the cornerstone of an otherwise young Pendleton infielder.

She provided leadership, and being one of the two seniors on the club, mentored the younger players.

Her home run in the title game tied the game at 6-6, but the Bucks just couldnt find more offense after that. If a big game is on the line, Id want McGrath to be next on my lineup card.

Infielders

Gracie Flyg, Hermiston

Kassidee Lemberger, Pend

Hanna Findley, Hermiston

Theres no other way to describe Flyg than by one word, warrior.

She led the team in hitting with a .421 batting average and clobbered a 3-run home run to put the Dawgs ahead late in the West Albany playoff game. Although the lead didnt hold, she did what she needed to do at that point of the game.

She hit three bombs on the year and drove in 24, second on the team. She tied for the team lead with 40 hits and struck out only one time the entire year. Not too shabby.

Lemberger was named the CRC Player of the Year because she was automatic on the defensive side. Any ball hit in her vicinity, she would get to and throw out the helpless runner trying to reach first.

She hit .328 during the season, but her bat came alive during the playoffs as she hit .500 during the postseason. She drove in a run in the state title game with a single, and is only a sophomore.

Shes one of the cornerstones for next years Pendleton softball team and will be vital to its success.

Findley, the lone senior on Hermistons club, well most certainly be missed by her teammates and friends. She signed on with Eastern Oregon University to continue her softball career.

Her rocket arm and continental range set her apart of other shortstops, and her hitting just made her that much better.

She hit .380 this season with 38 hits and led the team with 108 plate appearances. Defensively, she had 55 assists and 37 putouts.

Outfielders

Maloree Moss, Hermiston

Jenn Paxton, Hermiston

Shea Lindsey, Pendleton

When hitters came to the plate and saw Moss roaming centerfield, a part of them had to become sad inside.

Using her superior speed and athleticism, she made the hard plays look routine in the outfield. Its hard to believe that softball in her second sport by the way she plays the game.

She hit an even .400 this season with five home runs and drove in a team-leading 26 RBIs.

She made first-team all-CRC as an outfielder, and will definitely be back for more next season. Just imagine how good she would be if she played softball in the summer, instead of switching her spikes for sneakers to play hoops.

Paxton, a sophomore, is one of those players thats waiting to bust out in a big way. And while she didnt completely go crazy this season, she played pretty well.

She hit .291 with a homer and 16 RBIs.

Lindsey made the first team all-CRC team and anchored an a very good Pendleton outfield, and shell be back for more next season.

Utility

Mykel Liebe, Hermiston

Liebe saw time at a number of different places this season in the infield and outfield, but made most of her living as the designated player for Hermiston, usually hitting for Galloway-Cooley.

Liebe, a sophomore, hit .362 with 14 RBIs and 25 hits on the year. With no openings in the infield coming, it looks like Liebe will still be in the role of hitting for the pitcher, but shes pretty good at that, anyway.

Designated Player

Cheyenne Garrett, Irrigon

Garrett, the Knights first baseman, hit the cover off the ball this season. She batted a team-leading .442 with nine doubles and a homer and drove in 25 runs for the district-playoff team.

She led the team in every offensive category except on-base percentage. Her .456 on-base average was just three points shy of Ashli Roberts .459.

Talk to Billy about his picks. Write him at bgates@hermistonherald.com