Molalla High's baseball team used a four-run fifth inning to overcome a 3-1 deficit, then held on for the win May 27.

Indians use big fifth inning to snag lead, hold on for win in seventh

Few things feel as good as a state playoff victory. For the Molalla High baseball team, that feeling was riding high after a 5-4 win over visiting Hidden Valley/New Hope Christian in the first round of the state 4A baseball playoffs on Tuesday, May 27.

Molalla (21-6 overall, 11-4 in league) captured the Tri-Valley Conference title and came into Tuesday’s outing as the eighth-ranked team in the state. They had a battle on their hands with HV/NH but were able to close the door in the seventh for the win.

Up 1-0 after the first, the Indians rolled into the bottom half of the fifth inning staring at a 3-1 deficit. Fortunately, that didn’t hold as Molalla got the offense rolling for four runs and a lead they would not relinquish. Hidden Valley/New Hope tacked on a run in the top of the seventh for the day’s final margin.

With the win, Molalla has won 7 of its last 8 outings and now looks towards a quarterfinal’s showdown at Marist on Friday, May 30.