Tahoma and Kentlake’s fastpitch teams punched their tickets to state on Friday afternoon and are set to collide in a West Central District semi-final on Saturday afternoon.
For Tahoma, the 7-4 victory over Stadium wasn’t just about clinching a state berth, it was about taking the next step in creating tradition for a program that didn’t even make the playoffs four years ago.
“As seniors, it means everything to us,” said co-captain Emily Miller. “Our class took a program from nowhere to state for the first time since ’88.”
Actually, that was the last time Tahoma High brought home a softball trophy, but that was when it was a slowpitch program. Tahoma last went to state in 1994 but it was still a slowpitch team. The Bears have not been since the program converted to fastpitch.
Tahoma did it by beating Union 12-2 in five innings in the first game after coming in as the No. 3 seed out the South Puget Sound League.
Senior Sammii Jimenez, who picked up wins in the circle for the Bears in both games, was 3-for-3 with five RBIs, a double and a pair of triples against Union while junior shortstop Hayley Beckstrom went 4-for-4 with three RBIs.
In the game against Stadium, Tahoma drew first blood when senior co-captain Lisa Maulden hit a double to left center field to drive in Miller, but Stadium tied it up in the top of the second inning.
The Bears broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth when freshman Bre West hit a single up the middle followed by Beckstrom’s bloop single to center field.
Catcher Shelby Carter stepped up to the plate and dropped a double down the right field line that just stayed fair which drove in two runs.
Maulden then drove the ball to center field to make it 6-1.
Miller said the key to Tahoma’s success in the district tournament was working hard offensively.
“We literally just needed to score runs,” she said. “Our defense has never been a problem.”
Stadium hung around and threatened to mount a rally in the top of the seventh when Tahoma’s staunch defense put the game away.
After Kenley O’Hanlon led off with a double up the first base line Jacqi Castleton grounded out to Beckstrom then Brittany Lott drove in a run but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a single to a double. Heidi Wells then hit a fly ball to Molly Lathrop in left field to end the game.
Carter finished the game 2-for-4 with pair of triples, while Maulden was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and West was 3-for-3 at the plate.
Tahoma has six seniors and two juniors, a group that has played together for the past three years, going from the fifth seed out of the SPSL North in 2009 to sharing back to back division titles with Kentlake the past two seasons and now its first state berth in 17 years.
“It’s so exciting,” said senior third baseman Kiley Dunn. “It’s a new chapter in Tahoma fastpitch.”
The Bears can cross off all of its goals for the season. So, now what?
“Our new goal is to make a name for ourselves at state,” Miller said. “We’ve just got to get in there… and end the year on a positive note.”
Dunn said, “We need to keep the energy up, talk, and never let down. We need
to talk to each other and have a plan and a mindset to win.”
While Tahoma faced a pair of opponents it hasn’t seen all season, Kentlake got teams from the SPSL South, with a 9-2 victory over Todd Beamer, the No. 10 seed out of the league and a 5-0 win over Puyallup to clinch a spot at the state tournament next weekend in Spokane.
This was second time in the past week Kentlake beat Puyallup in the playoffs — the Falcons beat the Vikings 6-2 in an SPSL semi-final game on May 13 en route to a second straight league championship and No. 1 seed out of the SPSL.
Most of the offense for Kentlake came in the bottom of the third against Puyallup.
Maddie Brown poked a single to left field then moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Lexi Engman. Erin Crowley drove Brown in with a double to center field followed by Erika Smyth’s lone hit of the game, which she made count, smacking a double that drove in Crowley.
Jessie Richardson then stepped into the batter’s box and drove Smyth in on a single. Brittany Styger reached first base on an error then Libby Riehl hit a single past the first baseman.
Kellie Nielsen finished up the offensive run with an RBI single to left center field to take a 4-0 lead.
From there, it was all defense for the Falcons, and Smyth credited pitcher Hannah Sauget for “another great game” in the circle.
Sauget threw a complete game with six strikeouts, allowing five hits and giving up just one walk.
Crowley was 4-for-4 at the plate, all singles, with two RBIs and a pair of stolen bases. Smyth was 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Riehl was 2-for-3 as was Brown, who also scored a pair of runs.
“For this game we just mentally prepared ourselves, especially against a good pitcher,” Smyth said. “We tried to stay relaxed. Then we played Kentlake fastpitch.”
For the Falcons, the state tournament is nothing new, as this will be their seventh berth in the past eight years.
“That’s the goal we’ve been trying to achieve all season,” Smyth said. “Now that we’re there, we know we still have some work to do. We want that No. 1 seed.”
But its been four years since the last time Kentlake has brought home a trophy.
“The hardest game to win is your first game (at state),” Smyth said. “The main thing is to stay confident and basically know that we’re the best.
Just expect to win every game.”
ALSO: Kentwood started off the tournament with an upset of South Kitsap, the top seed out of the Narrows League, winning 11-4 before dropping the second game to Rogers 13-3.
The Conquerors still have an opportunity to make it to state with a game at noon Saturday against Emerald Ridge out of the SPSL South. If Kentwood wins that game it will play for the sixth and eighth seeds at 4 p.m. but if it loses the season is done. Kentwood last made it to state in 2009 but has never placed in the tournament.
