Warden punches its ticket to state softball tournament

Lady Cougars open state play Friday against Castle Rock

YAKIMA — The Warden Lady Cougars softball team is headed for the 1A state tournament — by the skin of its teeth.

After dropping a 13-3 decision to Zillah on Saturday in the South Central Athletic Conference semifinals, the Lady Cougars were faced with a win-or-go-home situation later that day against Cle Elum. Warden won that game 4-3, and with it a spot at state, as Amanda Martin scored Jennifer Whitaker with a single in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Warden got a solid pitching performance from Ashton Stott, who went the distance and struck out three while scattering nine hits.

"Several times she halted a Cle Elum rally," Warden head coach Wes Richins said of Stott.

The Lady Cougars managed seven hits against the Warriors and played good defense behind Stott, committing only one error. They also got some timely hitting from Cassandra Kisler, Randi Wright and Amanda Martinez. Kisler delivered a two-run double in the third inning to tie the score. Wright finished 2 for 3 at the plate and Martinez was 2 for 2.

After winning their SCAC playoff opener last Thursday against Granger, the Lady Cougars could've earned one of the league's top two seeds with a win Saturday morning over Zillah. Instead, the Leopards piled on 12 runs during the bottom of the second, going on for a 13-3 victory. Zillah scored the 12 runs via six hits, two walks and four Warden errors.

"It was one of those nightmarish innings where we couldn't get a bounce, we took some bad hops off our chests, our necks," Richins said. "(Zillah) dropped a few Texas League hits in."

Warden's bright side was a nine-hit attack led by Whitaker's 3 for 3, one RBI effort. Kat Martin was 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI.

After defeating Cle Elum to sew up their state berth, the Cougars dropped an 8-2 decision to Connell and wound up as the league No. 4 seed to state. The Eagles scored three times in the third and fifth innings against Wright.

"Their top of the order batted extremely well," Richins said of Connell.

Warden's runs came in the fourth inning when Amanda Martinez scored courtesy runner Sandra Castrareno with a sacrifice fly, and in the seventh when Stott scored Amanda Martinez with a single. Warden had seven hits, including doubles from Wright and Kaitlyn Yamane.

Richins expects a tough test for his girls at the state tournament. The Cougars open against the Castle Rock Rockets from southwest Washington at 9 a.m. on Friday. All games will be played at Moses Lake's Paul Lauzier Athletic Complex.

Richins noted that nine of the 16 teams in this year's 1A tourney are former 2A schools who dropped down due to reclassification. Castle Rock is one of them and comes from a traditionally strong league. The coach figured that would increase the level of competition for all teams.

"There's no easy games at state," he added. "You gotta have good pitching, good defense and when you have runners on, to cash them in. If anybody does that, they'll be successful."