Print
Email Story
YAKIMA -- Walla Walla returned to the 4A state softball tournament with a flourish, collecting its first-ever Eastern Regional title via a 2-1 win over Kennewick.
Blue Devils first baseman Hope Klicker made a leaping stab of Gabrielle McCallister's seventh-inning drive down the first baseline, preventing the potential tying run from scoring from first to preserve the victory and giving Wa-Hi a clean sweep of the league, district and regional titles.
"I think our last game against Kennewick highlighted the depth of our pitching staff," said Blue Devils coach Jerry Humphries. "We're celebrating, but we're one step closer to what we really want to accomplish. Just making it to the state tournament was not the goal."
Kennewick also had a big day, clinching its first-ever state berth since starting fastpitch in 1991. The Lions went to state in slowpitch in 1981 and 1985.
Amanda Hall drove in Kylie Rail with a two-out, two-strike single in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat Moses Lake 2-1, clinching a spot in the regional title game and the slot to state.
"Kylie beat the throw by a couple of steps. Needless to say, the girls went berserk," said Kennewick coach Dave Giancola.
The Lions then gave Walla Walla all they could handle in the championship, taking a 1-0 first-inning lead before Klicker's two-run single gave the Blue Devils the lead in the bottom of the first. The teams held each other scoreless for the next six innings.
Kamiakin earned a trip to state for the third straight year, but the Braves did it the hard way, winning three loser-out games after a first-round loss to Walla Walla on Friday.
Kamiakin beat Lewis & Clark 7-0 in their consolation opener, then topped Moses Lake 6-1 to set up a showdown with Eastmont for the third and final slot to state. In that game, Stephanie Crystal blasted a three-run homer and Allegra Wilde drove in two runs in the Braves' 9-8 win.
Championship game
Kennewick 100 000 0 -- 1 4 1
Walla Walla 200 000 x -- 2 4 0
T.Bakos and Nelson; Alyson Ambler, Hope Klicker (3), Alexis Bobadilla (7) and Vicki Reardon. Highlights--Ayers (K) 3x4; Hall (K) RBI; Klicker (WW) 2-run 2B; Jill McDaniels (WW) 2x3.
Moses Lake 001 000 0 -- 1 2 3
Kennewick 000 001 1 -- 2 3 3
Two outs when winning run. Karly Stoltman and Shelby Gonzalez; Taylor Bakos and Eryn Nelson. Highlights--Sara Bakos (K) RBI; Amanda Hall (K) GW RBI single in seventh; Kylie Rail (K) run.
Walla Walla 230 231 1 -- 11 12 2
Easmont 000 002 2 -- 4 9 5
Klicker and Reardon; Andrus and C.Ellis. Highlights--Klicker (WW) 2-run HR, 4 RBI, 8 Ks, 1BB; Bob 2x3, 2 RBI; Alicia Baker (WW) 2 R.
Lewis & Clark 000 000 0 -- 0 1 2
Kamiakin 205 000 x -- 7 9 0
K. Pavey and E. Ness; Lindsey Kamphius and Jessica Miracle. Highlights--Kamphius 8 Ks; Stephanie Hunter 2x3; Stephanie Crystal HR.
Kamiakin 001 005 0 -- 6 6 5
Moses Lake 000 010 0 -- 1 1 7
Katie Martell and Miracle; Stoltman, Richarvout (4) and Gonzalez. Highlights--Katie Martell 5 Ks; Allegra Wilde (K) 2x3, 2B, 2 RBI.
Kamiakin 103 401 0 -- 9 13 5
Eastmont 134 000 0 -- 8 7 0
Kamphius and Miracle; Andrus and Ellis. Highlights--Kamphius 5 Ks; Chynna Sandhop (ML) 3x4, 2B; Dee Scott 2x3 (ML); Crystal (K) 3x4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI; Whitney Hunter (K) 2x4; Wilde (K) 3x4, 2 2B, 2 RBI.
Class 3A: Hanford falls short
RICHLAND -- Stacy Stanhope went 2-for-3 and doubled, but it wasn't enough as Hanford fell 3-0 to North Central in the 3A regionals at Hanford.
Shadle Park earned the No. 1 seed to state with wins over East Valley (13-3) and Hanford (11-10).
Stanhope went 7-for-10 with a total of three doubles for the day for the Falcons, and Montanna Marty went 3-for-5 with a double.
North Central 000 000 1 -- 1 3 0
Hanford 101 001 x -- 3 8 1
Barline and Pryor; Montanna Marty and Emily Fine. Highlights--Alissa Prewett (H) SB; Chelseay Haken (H) 3B; Stacey Stanhope (H) 3x3, 2 2B, SB; Stephanie Pedraza (H) 2B; Marty (H) 2x3.
Shadle Park 122 202 2 -- 11 10 2
Hanford 002 030 5 -- 10 8 7
Cushner and Skillingstad; Hannah Garza, Danae Devine (3) and Fine. Highlights--Chelsea Haken (H) 2x4; Stanhope (H) 2x4, 3B; Fine (H) 2x4; Marty (H) 2B.
Hanford 000 000 0 -- 0 5 0
North Central 000 210 x -- 3 5 1
Marty, DeVine (4) and Fine; Barline and Pryor. Highlights--Stanhope (H) 2x3, 2B.
CWAC 2A: Othello eliminated
SELAH -- Alyssa Martinez and Breanna Montemayor both doubled for Othello, but it wasn't enough as the Huskies broke a 13-year streak of playing in the state tournament with a 3-0 loss to East Valley in a contest for the CWAC 2A's No. 3 seed.
Othello 000 000 1 -- 1 3 3
Selah 220 010 x -- 5 9 1
Eden Garza, Julyssa McKerlie (3) and Alyssa Martinez; Monica Stout and Sam Harris. Highlights--Natalie Fickes (S) 2x4; Harris (S) 2x3; Jamie Allison (S) 2B; Lauren Zuetennars (S) 2B.
Quincy 100 000 0 -- 1 2 1
Othello 810 120 x -- 12 11 1
Zamarron and Fregosa; Garza, McKerlie (5) and Martinez. Highlights--Breanna Montemayor (O) 2x3, HR; Martinez (O) 2x3, 2B; Jordan McCourtie; Lorena Garza (O) 3B, 2B, 2x3.
East Valley 000 010 2 -- 3 9 0
Othello 000 000 0 -- 0 5 3
Killing North and B. Lounsbury; Garza, McKerlie (6) and Martinez. Highlights--A. Jones (EV) 2x3, 2B; B. Sholtys (EV) 2x4; A. Bentancourth (EV) 2B; Martinez (O) 2x2, 2B; Montemayor (O) 2B.
1A SCAC districts
YAKIMA -- Eva Grassl went 2-for-3, hit a home run and had four RBIs, and Debbie Molsbarger struck out nine as Connell thumped Cle Elum 14-0 in the SCAC 1A championship game.
Kayla Bjorge and Kayla Bernsen both had two RBIs as the Eagles defeat Warden 5-2 in a winner's bracket semifinal.
Meanwhile, River View qualified for the 1A state tournament by winning three games.
The Panthers routed Kiona-Benton 10-0, defeated Warden 3-1 and edged Zillah 5-4 to earn the SCAC 1A's No. 3 to state.
Chani Brisby went 2-for-3, doubled and ripped a two-run homer for the Panthers in their winner-to-state victory over the Leopards.
Championship game
Cle Elum 000 00 -- 0 1 3
Connell 518 0x -- 14 15 0
Virginia Soderstrom, Hailey Bator (4) and Kodi Jones; Molsbarger and Sawyer. Highlights--Molsbarger (Co) 9K, 0BB, 3x3, HR, 2 RBI; Vergara (Co) 2x3, 3B; Bernsen (Co) 2x3, 2B; Kate Hawk (Co) 2x3; Eva Grassl (Co) 2x3, HR, 4 RBI.
Connell 311 000 0 -- 5 13 3
Warden 101 000 0 -- 2 3 1
Debbie Molsbarger and Shanika Sawyer; Randi Wright and Sandra Castorano. Highlights--Molsbarger (C) 3x4, 2 2B, 3B, 2R; Kayla Bjorge (C) 3x4, 2B, 2 RBI; Yessenia Vergara (C) 2x4; Sawyer (C) 2x4; Kayla Bernsen (C) 2x3, HR, 2 RBI; Cassandra Kisler (W) HR in 1st.
Kiona-Benton 000 00 -- 0 2 3
River View 042 13 -- 10 12 0
Kili Brundridge and Sheridan McDonald; Lexie Hess and Chani Brisby. Highlights--Jalissa Hutchins (RV) 2x4, 4 RBI, 2B; Sadie McKee (RV) 2x3, 3B; Teri Thompson (RV) 2x3; Hess (RV) 2x3.
Warden 000 001 0 -- 1 8 2
River View 100 020 0 -- 3 8 2
Randi Wright and Sandra Castoreno; Hess and Brisby. Highlights--Castoreno (W) 3x4; Jenny Guerra (W) 3x3, 2B; Haley Hess (RV) 2x3; McKee (RV) 2x3, 2 RBI, 2B; Demi McGill (RV) 2x3, 2B.
Zillah 000 000 4 -- 4 3 3
River View 013 001 x -- 5 6 2
Kelsie Salverda and Rachael Argo; H. Hess and Brisby. Highlights--Kori Duce (Z) 2x4, 2 2B; H. Hess (RV) 2x3, 13K; Brisby (RV) 2x3, 2R HR, 2B; McGill (RV) 2B.
