Saturday 12 July 2014

Hoquiam perfect in state Ruth softball


Thanks to a late comeback by the 10-U team as darkness fell at John Gable Park on Friday night, Hoquiam’s all-stars completed an unbeaten round-robin portion of the State Babe Ruth Softball Tournament.


Scoring 15 times in the final two innings, Hoquiam rallied past Othello, 19-11, in the 10-U age group. The 10-U team, which had opened play Thursday with a 20-1 rout of West End of Forks, had previously trounced North Olympic of Port Angeles, 14-2, and Bellingham, 21-3, on Friday.


Hoquiam’s 12-U all-stars all finished unbeaten in round-robin pool play, defeating North Olympic, 19-3, on Thursday before beating Othello, 13-3, Bellingham, 13-12, and West End, 6-5, on Friday.


In the 10-U division, Othello had beaten North Olympic, 19-3, Bellingham topped West End, 13-3, Othello had trounced Bellingham by a lopsided margin and West End, 12-1, Bellingham beat North Olympic, 16-4 and West End outlasted North Olympic, 33-23.


The latter contest pushed the 10-U program far behind schedule. The Hoquiam-Othello game began some two hours late.


Bellingham topped Othello, 10-0, and North Olympic, 11-7, West End edged North Olympic, 7-6, Bellingham, 8-4, and Othello, 6-5, in the 12-U age group.


Hoquiam earned the top seed in both the 10-U and 12-U brackets as double-elimination play begins today. Those tourneys run through Sunday.


Hoquiam’s U-14 and U-16 teams won’t take the field until Sunday, the former facing Bellingham and the latter West End in a best-of-three title round.


State champions advance to regionals beginning Thursday at Roseburg, Ore.


10-U


Hoquiam trailed Othello 10-4 after four innings before rallying to win a battle of unbeatens.


The hosts tied it with a a six-run fifth, only to see Othello regain the lead on Hailee Guzman’s RBI single in the bottom of the same inning.


Hoquiam, however, sent 13 batters to the plate in a nine-run sixth.


Hailey Wilson singled to lead off the inning and delivered a two-run double later in the frame. Tauni Hilliard followed with a run-scoring double and Charli Eastman unloaded a booming triple, her second three-bagger of the game, to cap the onslaught.


Hilliard pitched a scoreless bottom of the inning to pick up the win.


Wilson had four hits and lacked only a homer of hitting for the cycle. Eastman added two triples and a single and Hilliard and Allyssa Perry two hits for Hoquiam.


Hilliard and Wilson combined on a no-hitter in the victory over West End. Wilson’s three hits in that game included a homer, Hilliard and Eastman each tripled and Hailey Lawrence made a spectacular catch in earning team Most Valuable Player honors.


Wilson and Hilliard also teamed for a no-hitter against North Olympic. Wilson, whose two hits included a two-run homer, received the MVP award. Hilliard homered and tripled and Eastman slugged a two-run homer, while Kamryn Krohn delivered a two-run triple.


Wilson went 4-for-4, with two homers, in the victory over Bellingham. Hilliard hit a solo homer, Eastman doubled twice and Annie Boyle knocked in two runs in that contest.


12-U


Hoquiam scored three times in the bottom of the sixth to edge Bellingham in one of the most dramatic — and wildest — games of the tourney.


Sparked by a five-run first inning in which Maddie German blasted a two-run triple and Jordan Cox circled the bases on a hit-error combination, the hosts were seemingly headed for a mercy-rule victory with a 10-0 lead after three innings.


But Bellingham capitalized on a pitching change to do all its scoring in the fourth. Olivia Whitney, who had doubled early in that inning, capped that outburst with a two-run homer.


Bellingham retained that 12-10 lead into the final inning.


After Abbi Spradlin reached on an error to open the Hoquiam sixth, Maya Jump grounded a single through the right side of the infield. A dropped throw to first base on Jade Cox’s bunt scored Spradlin and moved Jump to third. The latter tallied the tying run on a wild pitch.


German then lined a clean single to left field that easily scored Cox with the deciding marker.


Payton Parshall, who both started and ended the contest in the pitching circle, picked up the win.


German received her team’s most valuable player award. Jump delivered three hits for Hoquiam.


Hoquiam ripped 15 hits in three innings in routing North Olympic on Thursday. Parshall was also the winning pitcher in that game, with relief help from Spradlin.


Spradlin and Reylynn Dunn each homered in the victory over Othello. Each had two hits, as did Jump. Jade Cox drove in three runs.


Randie Stewart was the winning pitcher in that contest. German, who caught that contest, earned team MVP honors.


Kylee Bagwell went 3-for-3, including a home run, as Hoquiam held off West End in its final game of the day. Jump and Jade Cox added two hits, while German (who did the catching) again received the MVP award. Stewart also picked up the victory in this contest, with Parshall striking out the final batter to record the save.



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