More balanced Bombers gear up for state run

Whenever the Richland High School softball team needs a big-time performance, Brandi Andrews answers the call.

After the Bombers came back to beat Chiawana 12-6 on Friday in a loser-out game of the Mid-Columbia Conference/Greater Spokane League regional tournament, they still needed two wins Saturday in Spokane to extend their state tournament appearance streak to eight.

Against Lewis and Clark in the morning, Andrews homered the first three times she came to the plate and gave up one run on five hits while striking out 10 to lead Richland (19-5) to a 6-1 win over the Tigers. She then went 3-for-5 with another home run and six RBIs, including a go-ahead, two-run single in the seven-run top of the fourth, against University in the nightcap to lift the Bombers to a 14-7 win and a state berth.

Four home runs. Ten RBIs. A dominant performance in the circle.

Just another day at the office for the Bombers’ star.

“Her hitting has been pretty consistent all year, and that’s not normal to hit four home runs in a given day,” Richland coach Casey Emery said. “But it was her pitching against Lewis and Clark that really helped us, because she’s been hurt this year and hasn’t been able to pitch near as much, so that allowed our freshman Kaylie Northrop to come in and pitch against U-Hi, and she was quite effective in that game.”

Richland faces Camas at 10 a.m. Friday at the Dwight-Merkel Sports Complex in Spokane in the first round of state.

“I’m pretty excited,” Andrews said. “It’s just kind of exciting that with the different kind of year we’re having, our team came together and made it this far, to make it to state.”

Andrews shined in the tourney last year, going 13-for-22 (.591) at the plate and pitching all 33 innings in the Bombers’ six games to finish third. Northrop and junior Amanda Brown shouldered a good bulk of the innings this season, and figure to take a lot of the pressure off Andrews — who has a lingering issue with a nerve in her throwing arm — at state.

“It’s nice, because I got injured earlier in the season, it’s nice only having to pitch some innings,” Andrews said. “And if I have to pitch a full game, Kaylie can pitch a full game after me and we’re getting the win. It’s nice knowing we have a good pitching staff for state this year, and not just me.”

Aside from the four runs she allowed in the third inning, Northrop was stellar against University in the winner-to-state, loser-out regional game. She went the distance and scattered 10 hits, giving up six earned runs, against the team that beat the Bombers 8-5 in the regional semifinal May 12.

“It was a little nerve racking (pitching against U-Hi), but I’m used to playing against older kids,” Northrop said. “I was confident in my team, I thought we’d play pretty good.”

In addition to the bulked-up pitching staff, the Bombers have gotten contributions from up and down the batting order this season. Junior second baseman Miranda Camacho had four hits and four RBIs in the doubleheader Saturday, freshman first baseman Addison Pettit went 4-for-4 with a double and a home run — her second of the weekend — against University, and junior outfielder Baylei Ozuna homered, tripled and drove in four runs to lead the team against Chiawana.

“(Ozuna) bats eighth in our lineup. She kind of slumped during the middle of the season, and toward the end she’s been on a roll,” Emery said. “And so have some of the other players. Sydney Perryman, Camacho — whose been consistent all year — of course Brandi, Kaylie Northrop’s been hitting the ball very well.

“We’ve gotta have good pitching, good defense, that’s the expectation. The hitting, we’re gonna see some really, really good pitching, so we’ll expect some close games, and we’ve just gotta have timely hitting.”

BLUE DEVILS BACK IN THE FOLD

After missing out on state last year for just the second time since 2008, Walla Walla stormed into the tourney last weekend with a 5-3 win over University in the regional championship game.

The Blue Devils (20-3) begin their quest for a fourth trip to the state title game against South Kitsap at noon at Dwight-Merkel Sports Complex.

Walla Walla swept Richland in the regular season finale to swipe the league crown. If the Blue Devils and Bombers meet for a rematch, it wouldn’t be until the championship or third/fourth-place game.

TC PREP SET FOR FIRST STATE TOURNEY

Despite its 12-13 record, Tri-Cities Prep won four out of six games in the District 5/6 playoffs to earn the first state berth in school history.

The Jaguars face Napavine (16-7) in the first round of the 2B tournament at 11 a.m. Friday at the Gateway Sports Complex at Kiwanis Park in Yakima.

After losing to Brewster, 8-1, early Saturday, TCP beat Lake Roosevelt, 14-4, and Liberty Bell, 14-8, in consecutive district loser-out games to wrap up a triple header.

This story was originally published May 24, 2017 at 8:40 PM with the headline "More balanced Bombers gear up for state run."