Rainier breezes past Raymond/South Bend to stay alive

May 15-For a brief moment in Rainier's district quarterfinal against Pe Ell/Willapa Valley on Friday, the Mountaineers had all the momentum. They had just put up six runs in an inning to take a two-run lead, and thoughts of a potential trip to the semifinals began to bloom.

PWV rebounded and beat Rainier, but the Mountaineers carried that momentum into its second game, where they beat Raymond/South Bend 22-7 in five innings in an elimination game at Fort Borst Park to keep their season alive.

"I'm proud of them for sticking with it, especially with the weather," Rainier coach Katie Qualls said, alluding to the mid-game rainstorm that swept through the complex. "Everybody's soaking wet. It's miserable. For them to hang in and battle like that and just hit the ball, it's really great. I'm really proud of them."

With their season on the line, the Mountaineers wasted no time seizing the momentum.

Ryleigh Cruse hit an RBI single, and both Sierra Lee and Gracie Green drew bases-loaded walks to put Rainier up 3-0 in the first, and Mia Naval led off the second with a triple.

Layla Hill drove Naval in with a single, an RBI knock that kickstarted a 10-run second inning that put Rainier up a baker's dozen.

Qualls said that the Mountaineers' approach throughout the day was excellent, as they were patient and selective at the dish.

"Be ready and be loaded," Qualls said. "That was my favorite part. They're patient, but they're aware and they're ready to go."

A three-run third and six run-fifth was more than enough to keep the run-rule in play.

Both Hill and Cruse finished with three hits and drove in four runs, and Naval also collected three hits and scored four times.

Peyton Tsagris added two hits and drove in two runs, and Green also tacked on two RBIs of her own while reaching base in all five of her plate appearances (one single and four walks).

With the win, the Mountaineers (12-9) are through to Saturday, where they will have two chances to clinch their first trip to state since 2002.

Rainier will face Adna in a winner-to-state game at 9 a.m. at Fort Borst Park. If the Mountaineers win, they are into state and will play in the third-place game, but a loss would put them in the winner-to-state fifth-place game. Both of those games are at 1 p.m.

When Qualls began to speak about the opportunity her team has tomorrow, she smiled.

"I'm really happy," Qualls said. "It's almost a little bit emotional because they've just worked so hard. They're such a young team at heart, that the support from the younger kids and the admiration of the older kids had bonded them together ... I was really proud of them."

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