Action at the 1B state softball and baseball tournaments has been at a fever pitch this past week. Naselle’s softball squad rode an offensive tsunami to the state final, and the Comets baseball squad is about to battle it out in the state semis. Meanwhile, Wahkiakum softball made its first playoff game in 20 years, and the Mules’ baseball squad grabbed a first-round playoff win before ultimately falling in the quarterfinals.
Naselle going deep at state
The #7 Comets streaked to the state softball final, winning in the first round, before securing back-to-back upset wins to make the state final. Though #1 Liberty Christian would prove too stiff a test in the final, the Comets’ three-game streak to 1B’s biggest stage was something to behold. In the opening round against #10 Quilcene on Thursday, May 21, Naselle made quick work of the Rangers, winning 12-1 in five innings. The Comets’ defense was stifling, allowing just two hits and one run, and Avrey Ford notched four strikeouts on the mound, playing the whole game. Offensively, it was a hit fest for the Comets, with senior Brooke Davis leading with three of the team’s 12 hits, including two doubles. Also shining bright among Naselle’s constellations were Ford and Addie Dalton. Ford had two hits, including a triple and three RBI, while Dalton managed two triples herself.
After a dominant display in the opening round, Naselle faced #2 Sunnyside Christian in the quarterfinals. The Comets looked in control for much of the game, but a huge inning for the Knights in the sixth almost stole the game. It would take an extra inning for the Comets to escape with the win. Naselle got on the board first. A Lili Ford bunt in the second inning allowed Emma Kragerud to score.
A couple of innings later, the Comets extended the lead to 3-0 in the fourth, with singles from Ford and Jessie Smith driving in a run each. A double from Kaitlyn Steenerson in the top of the fifth added another score to the board, giving the Comets a seemingly safe 4-0 lead.
When the bottom of the sixth rolled around, the Comets had outhit Sunnyside Christian 13-0 to that point, but in that frame, the game totally shifted. The Knights registered four hits in the inning and also capitalized on several Naselle errors to take an improbable 6-4 lead.
In a do-or-die top of the seventh inning, Margrit Engelson came up huge. After an error allowed Naselle to get within one run, Engelson connected on a line drive to right field, sending Jaylee Bonk home and tying the game. It was three up, three down for the Knights in the bottom of the seventh, thanks to Ford’s clutch pitching, and the game headed to extra innings.
Singles from Dalton and Davis to lead off the inning put Naselle in scoring positions, and a Steenerson single put the go-ahead run on the board for the Comets, 7-6. Naselle couldn’t add more scores in the inning, but clutch fielding and a quick three outs secured the win.
In the semis, Naselle nailed another upset, this time against the #6 Colton Wildcats. The Comets needed late-game heroics to ensure the win. Heading into the seventh, the game was tied 8-8. This time, it was Kragerud who stepped up, nailing a triple to lead off the top of the seventh. Steenerson and Bonk added singles to get Kragerud home, and a flyout and an Engelson double sent two more runners home, putting the Comets up 11-8. To close out the game, Mallory Helvey struck out two of the final four batters. Though she surrendered one hit, the win was solidified with a groundout to Dalton at third base.
In the final, the Comets faced #1 Liberty Christian, who entered the game with a 23-3 record. Liberty Christian would defend the #1 ranking, beating Naselle 7-4. The Patriots took the lead early, and they never allowed the Comets to quite get back into it. Ford had a great day for the Comets, with a triple and a single for two RBI. Davis wrapped up her senior year with two hits and an RBI. For the Comets, it was a fairytale run to the state final, and a season of which they can be proud.
Naselle baseball in semis
For the Comets’ baseball team, the first round was something of a walk in the park. Entering as the #2 seed, Naselle never looked troubled by #7-ranked Sunnyside Christian.
The Comets put the game out of reach almost immediately, putting up 14 runs in the first inning. The 14-0 first-inning lead was built from doubles from Garrett Boggs, Scott Henington, and Kyle Pakenen, as well as three singles and eight walks.
Sunnyside added three runs of their own in the second and third innings, but a nine-run answer at the bottom of the third from Naselle closed the door on any comeback. The Comets’ top performances came from Pakenen, Henington, and Trajen Ford. Pakenen and Henington each had a double and a single, combining for seven RBI in their five at-bats.
Trajen Ford was on the mound for Naselle, finishing the game with nine strikeouts against six hits and three allowed runs. Ford was also productive at the plate, finishing with two hits, a walk, two RBI, and two runs scored. The game ended 23-3 after just five innings. The Comets will be back in action against #11 DeSales in the semifinals at Wood Field at Carlon Park in Selah on Friday, May 29.
Mules softball back at state
The Mules fell to Wilbur-Creston-Keller (WCK) in the opening round on Thursday, May 21, but the real achievement was getting back to the state championship for the first time in more than 20 years. In their first game in the playoffs in more than two decades, the Mules fought until the bitter end. After falling behind 6-0 after two innings, Wahkiakum’s offense showed what it can do. Memphis Coleman got on base for the Mules with a walk, and Amy Horman joined her with a single on the next at-bat. Ryen Hurley drove in a run with a single, and Evy Hogue sent a double to left field to score the Mules’ second run. Three more runs came Wahkiakum’s way, two by way of singles from Rylie Wills and Macie Helms. Just like that, the Mules trailed by just one run in the top of the third, 5-6.
Wahkiakum almost took the lead in the top of the fourth, thanks to hits from Ryen Hurley and Hogue, but couldn’t get an all-important hit to snatch the advantage. Unfortunately, the next inning saw WCK take control of the game for good. The Wildcats scored seven runs to take a 13-5 lead, and the Mules never quite got within reach.
The game ended 16-6 in the bottom of the sixth, but the Mules gave a good account of themselves, led by senior Hogue and sophomores Hurley and Amy Horman. Hogue had two doubles for an RBI, and Hurley and Horman added multi-hit stat lines. Hurley had three singles and two stolen bases, while Horman ended her season with two singles. For Wahkiakum’s six seniors, the trip to the state showdown was a deserved culmination to their careers.
Wahkiakum baseball reaches quarters
For the second season in a row, the Mules entered the opening round as an underdog and emerged as a state quarterfinalist. This year’s first round saw Wahkiakum pitted against Northwest Christian, and there were fireworks aplenty down to the home stretch. Wahkiakum scored first on a steal of home by Parker Leitz in the first inning, and then both teams went scoreless until the fifth. The Mules’ second run was driven in by a double from Aiden Scott, giving Wahkiakum a two-run buffer. In the bottom of the fifth, Northwest Christian scored on a walk, and they took the lead in the bottom of the sixth after a batter was hit by a pitch and another walked, meaning the Wolverines carried a 3-2 lead heading into the decisive seventh.
Needing some offensive execution to put the pressure on Northwest Christian, Cooper Carlson made the first move, sending a double to left field. An error added another Mule to the basepaths, and an intentional walk loaded the bases. Another walk scored the tying run for the Mules, and then Josh Moon sent a fly ball almost to the moon: a triple to send all three runners home. The Mules held a 6-3 lead and added three more runs to make it 9-3 heading into the final half inning.
Despite giving up three runs, Cooper Carlson closed out the game on the mound with a strikeout, sending a Wolverine batter swinging back to the dugout, and the Mules on to the quarterfinals for the second consecutive season.
In the quarters, Wahkiakum took on #1 Liberty Christian, who had a perfect 24-0 record. In the end, the Patriots were too much for the Mules to handle, and Liberty Christian took the semis spot with a 10-1 win.
The Mules managed just one hit in the game, and their one run came in the first inning off a groundout that got Parker Leitz home. Liberty Christian did its offensive damage in spurts, scoring four runs in the second, three runs in the fourth, and three runs in the sixth to achieve their 10 on the scoreboard.
Wahkiakum’s lone hit came from senior Parker Leitz in the third. For one of Wahkiakum’s most talented players, it was only right that he should end his high-school career with another connection at the plate. It was a good campaign for Wahkiakum, as the Mules ended the season as one of 1B’s best eight teams, and their 13-7 record for the season will have given them plenty of highlights to look back on.
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