Tigers, Titans bounce back from quarterfinal losses to advance to Day 2

May 23-Box Score

At Gateway Sports Complex

MOUNTAINEERS 13, COUGARS 10

Warden 301 600 0 - 10

Rainier 005 800 X - 13

WAR Highlights - Prenuda 3-4, 3B, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R; Jensen 4-5, 2 2B, RBI, 2 R; Erickson 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R; Rodriguez 2-4, 2 RBI.

RAIN Highlights - Hill 3-5, 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R; Cruse 3-3, 2B, RBI, BB, 2 R; Lantz 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, Naval 2-3, RBI, BB, R.

LANCERS 12, TIGERS 3

Liberty 221 200 5 - 12

Napavine 200 000 1 - 3

LIB Pitching - Jeske 7 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 13 K. Highlights - Jeske 4-5, HR, 2 RBI, 4 R; Stout 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R; Thompson 2-4, RBI; Hofmann 1-2, 2 RBI, BB.

NAP Highlights - Lyons 2-4, 2B, RBI; Kaut 1-3, 2 RBI, R; Dalebout 1-3, R.

TITANS 11, MOUNTAINEERS 4

Rainier 100 030 0 - 4

Pe Ell/WV 320 240 X - 11

RAIN Highlights - Lantz 2-3, 2 RBI; Naval 1-4, R; Lee 1-2, BB.

PWV Pitching - Barnum 7 IP, 4 H, 4 R (0 ER), 4 BB, 5 K. Highlights - Hodel 4-4, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R; Andrews 2-4, 2 RBI; I. Milanowski 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R; Magruder 2-3, 2 R.

TIGERS 9, WARRIORS 8

Cle Elum-R. 501 200 0 - 8

Napavine 013 410 X - 9

CER Highlights - Thornton 3-4, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R; Slimp 2-3, RBI, 2 R; Singer 1-2, RBI, 2 BB, 2 R.

NAP Highlights - Kaut 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, R; Brevard 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI; C. Fay 2-3, RBI; Lyons 2-3, 3B, BB, R.

YAKIMA - Just before 8 p.m. on Friday night, both Pe Ell/Willapa Valley and Napavine lost their state quarterfinals against Toledo and Liberty (Spangle).

They had only moments to dwell on those losses before retaking the field in loser-out games around 15 minutes later.

"We definitely had a little hangover from that Liberty (quarterfinal) game," Napavine coach Josh Fay said.

The Tigers and Titans both rebounded nicely, though, keeping their state trophy hopes alive with wins over Cle Elum-Roslyn and Rainier after dark at the Gateway Sports Complex in Yakima. Napavine topped Cle-Elum Roslyn 9-8 and PWV beat Rainier 11-4.

"They did a great job keeping it all together," PWV coach Eric Hopfer said. "They were pretty broken up after the Toledo (quarterfinal) game. But they came out executed and did a great job."

Both PWV and Napavine fell behind early in their loser-out matchups. The Titans trailed 1-0 after half an inning against Rainier, and the Tigers found themselves down 5-0 heading into the bottom of the first against Cle Elum-Roslyn.

"We just had some mental errors that cost us," Fay said. "But we just found a way to kind of scratch some things out."

The Tigers got on the board in the second inning on an RBI ground out from Makayla Brett, but still trailed 6-1 heading into the bottom of the third.

A three-run third got the Tigers within two, but a two-run home run from Cle Elum-Roslyn put the Warriors in front 8-4 in the fourth.

Hayden Kaut got Napavine right back into the game in the bottom half of the fourth, though, hitting a three-run double to center to get the Tigers within one.

Across Napavine's three games on Friday, Kaut went 7 for 12, and she drove in 10 runs.

"Hayden had some great at-bats all day," Josh Fay said. "She hit the ball on the screws over and over and over."

Brevard drove in Kaut with an RBI single to tie the game at eight, and in the fifth, Makayla Brett singled, advanced to second on one wild pitch, advanced to third on another, and scored on a throwing error to put Napavine ahead for good.

"She's been a great role player," Josh Fay said. "She's been playing second base every single day for us. And that was great. And that was a nice hit (to get on base)."

Across all three games, Hannah Fay threw 20 innings. Josh Fay said that the plan wasn't necessarily for her to pitch all three games, but once she settled in, it was tough to take the ball out of her hands.

"She didn't want to come out," Josh Fay said. "She said she wanted to finish it. Really proud of her."

With the win, Napavine (20-4) is through to Day 2 of the State Tournament for the first time since 2018, when it finished second.

"I'm proud of them," Josh Fay said. "I've been frustrated today, but they've restored my faith in humanity."

PWV also trailed early, but the Titans were able to regroup quickly.

They scored three times in the bottom of the first to retake the lead, and they added two in the second and fourth to push the lead to six. After Rainier plated three in the fifth to cut into the deficit, PWV (21-7) responded with four to rebuild the lead.

It was a welcome return to form for the PWV offense, which struggled in a 6-4 loss to Toledo in the semifinals.

"We did not execute hitting and stringing things together (against Toledo)," Hopfer said. "We didn't hit the way we needed to ... In this game, we talked about it. It was 'Seniors, do you want to go home? For the rest of you, let's do it for them and let's get going. Let's get the bats hot again here.' They did, and we're proud of them."

Jillian Hodel finished 4 for 4 with two doubles and four runs batted in, and both Layla Andrews and Izzy Milanowski drove in a pair of runs. Tylar Keeton and Rylin Channel both added a hit and an RBI apiece, and Ruby Magruder collected two hits and scored two runs.

Eliza Barnum allowed four runs, but they were all marked as unearned, and she allowed just four hits and struck out five in the win.

"Eliza did a great job tonight," Hopfer said. "I was very pleased with that."

On the other side of the field opposite of PWV, an emotional Rainier team left the field for the final time this season.

The Mountaineers went 1-2 on Friday, losing a first-round matchup against Liberty (which had former Mountaineer Jordan Jeske pitching) 8-1 before rebounding with a 13-10 win over Warden to earn the right to face PWV.

"We went in knowing (the second game) was gonna be a challenge," Rainier coach Katie Qualls said. "Coming back from (the loss) and knowing that the second game was do or die. They were in it, and they were committed to it."

In the game against Warden, the Mountaineers (14-12) trailed 4-0 and 10-5, but rallied back with an eight-run fourth to take the lead.

In the win, Layla Hill collected three hits, drove in four runs, and scored twice, and Gracie Lantz added two hits and three RBIs. Five other Mountaineers drove in a run in the victory.

"Offense has been a big, big topic over the last couple of weeks for us," Qualls said. "They worked really hard, and it paid off."

The offense didn't have as much success against Barnum in its final game, but Qualls was still proud of the way her group represented Rainier on 2B's biggest stage.

"Coming here and winning a game for us is an accomplishment beyond anything that we imagined when we walked into this having nine eighth graders and no JV team," Qualls said. "They worked hard, they deserve this. That one win, I told them, treat it like your own trophy. Be proud of that ... You're top 12. You pretty much did what you set out as the 12 seed to do."

Qualls and the rest of the Mountaineers showed plenty of emotion postgame, as Hill, the team's lone senior, received hugs from her teammates after her final game.

"This whole season, from the beginning, she took the reins as the leader, and it was a natural role for her," Qualls said. "It was a little bit different, being the lone senior compared to years prior. That's a lot of pressure, and she stepped up to the plate ... She's the shot caller, she loved it, and she did really, really well at it. A lot of the younger kids really looked up to her for it. She set a really good example for them. She's a hard worker and a good teammate."

Regardless of how Napavine and PWV end their season on Saturday, both coaches expect similar emotions to flow in regard to their senior classes.

"Tomorrow is gonna be a road to get through," Hopfer said. "It's gonna be a heartbreaker."

Both Napavine and PWV need to win two straight elimination games to earn a spot in the 3rd/4th game. The Tigers will face No. 9 Kittitas in their first game, while the Titans will take on No. 6 River View in their first matchup on Saturday.

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