Panthers get much-needed wins

Lily McCormick, pictured, as had quite a season at the plate. The junior has 10 home runs on the season (as of the Woodburn game) and 23 in her prep career. She is now the school’s all-time home run leader in softball. Photo by Lance Masterson.

The Panthers varsity softball team is doing what it needs to do to remain alive for a spot in the Class 5A playoffs.

Central fell to Dallas, 15-0, on April 22, but bounced back to rout Woodburn, 15-0, on April 24, and edge South Albany, 6-4, on Monday.

The wins improved the Panthers’ record to 4-6 in the Mid-Willamette Conference and 10-8 overall. They are the 14th-ranked team by OSAA calculations. Only 16 teams advance to the postseason.

But the road ahead is paved with quality opponents. Five of the Panthers’ final eight games are against teams ahead of them in the standings, and all of these teams are ranked ninth or higher by the OSAA.

As for this week’s tests, Central is at Silverton on Wednesday, hosts West Albany on Friday (at 4:30 p.m.), and is at Corvallis on Monday.

The Foxes are ranked fourth, the Bulldogs seventh and Corvallis ninth by the OSAA.