‘This means everything.’ What a season for Burns softball — a 30-game win streak and the first state championship in program history

By Paul Valencia | Photos by Taylor Balkom 

EUGENE — A winning streak for the ages led to a state championship for the history books.

Ayla Davies struck out 14 batters, Mattie Woodbury came through with a clutch hit again, and the Burns Hilanders took down No. 1-seed Yamhill Carlton 3-1 on Friday, claiming the 2022 OSAA 3A softball state championship at Jane Sanders Stadium in Eugene.

“This makes history,” catcher Merissa Medley said. 

She noted that Burns did have some success in the playoff systems used last year during COVID, but it “wasn’t truly an OSAA thing.”

This, though … this is real.

“This means everything,” Medley said. “This is huge for Burns softball. We made it this far. We finally proved we could get up to the top. It’s truly just making history. It paves the way for people to come up and play for Burns softball.”

The first softball title in school history comes with a 30-game win streak, as well.

Burns lost its first game of the season, then reeled off 30 consecutive wins.

The final out came on a popup to Mackenzie King, playing first base. Most of the Hilanders ran toward her to celebrate. Medley, though, zeroed in on her pitcher.

“She tried to get away from me,” Medley said. “I had to chase after her.”

Davies said that was her favorite moment from a rainy Friday evening in Eugene. The ball in the air. The catch. The out. And then …

“I got absolutely tackled,” Davies said.

She turned around to show off the dirt all over the back of her uniform.

“Incredible. I’ve never had a more fun game,” Davies said.

Burns took advantage of three walks in the top of the first inning and scored on a wild pitch. 

The Hilanders made it 3-0 with two runs in the fifth inning.

Woodbury, the No. 9 hitter who hit two home runs in the semifinal win over South Umpqua, crushed a double to score King, who opened the frame with a single. Woodbury came around on a single by Davies.

“I’m not going to lie. Coming in today, I really had some doubts. I was incredibly nervous. I didn’t know what to expect,” Woodbury said. “It was crazy.”

But she never doubted this championship season could happen.

“We kind of had a hunch,” she said. 

The Hilanders had to say goodbye to some seniors last year and they needed to put in extra work to make this dream a reality. 

“We knew it was possible,” Woodbury said.

Kaya Dobson is the team’s lone senior this season. She is grateful to her teammates for welcoming her with open arms. This is Dobson’s first softball season since middle school. Now she is a state champion … again. 

Dobson was on the volleyball championship team in the fall. Burns finished second in basketball, just missing out on the triple crown. 

“Pretty great senior year, you could say,” Dobson said.

As far as this softball team, Dobson said the Hilanders never assumed this was going to happen. They loved working toward the goal, and they enjoyed the journey.

“We were excited to be here,” she said. “We knew we could compete, and we believed in ourselves the whole way.”

With a 3-0 lead and the way Davies was pitching, the Hilanders really could start to believe after the fifth inning.

“I love catching for Ayla,” Medley said. “Her pitches are so spot-on. I love working with her. We have a great dynamic. I love being behind the plate for her.”

Davies picked up her 12th strikeout to end the fifth inning.

Yamhill-Carlton, though, was not going to go away quietly. The Tigers reached on an error to open the bottom of the sixth. Kya Ellis followed with a hit and the Tigers had a rally. Cecelia Petraitis drove in a run on a groundout to make it 3-1.

Davies got out of the mini jam when the next batter flied out to left field.

Yamhill-Carlton got a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh, but the Hilanders and Davies were up to the challenge again.

Then it was time to tackle Davies.

Yamhill-Carlton coach John Kuehnel said his players deserve a lot of credit for this strong season. The Tigers finished 26-4 and earned the top seed.

“I told them they had an awesome season. You can’t knock that,” Kuehnel said. “The only person that doesn’t lose their last game is the one that just won it right here. Everybody else, through the playoffs, they lost their last game, too.”

Burns hasn’t felt the sting of a loss since the very first game of the season.

Davies said this run has been amazing, and not just on the field, but in the stands, too. There was a big crowd from Burns in Eugene, and that’s more than a four-hour drive. The school also hosted a viewing party in the gym. 

“We’ve had some great support from home,” Davies said. “The support has been wonderful.”