Othello softball brings home state hardware

SELAH - The Huskies took the long way around the bracket after dropping their opening game 7-6 to defending 2A State Champion WF West from Chehalis at Carlon Park in Selah Friday. But after putting together a five-game win streak, Othello walked away with a third place finish that included avenging the loss to WF West, which bounced the Bearcats out of postseason play.

"We had a great season (25-5) and ended it with a bang," coach Rudy Ochoa said. "I am very proud of these young ladies. We are going to miss our three seniors Kim Bullis, Daisy Salgado and Kalinda Kosters next year as they will be leaving us (graduating)."

The loss to WF West landed Othello in the consolation bracket, which meant the Huskies could not lose another game or they would be sent home. Facing immense pressure, the team put together five straight wins to make believers out of everyone as the action unfolded.

The teams' first win (9-2) came against the Granite Falls Tigers.

"We beat them with strong hitting performances by Tori Zambrano, Kirsten Quigley, Sofie Rodriguez, Madison Martinez and Kim Bullis," Ochoa said. "Kim was the winning pitcher, and Sofie Rodriguez, the catcher."

Zambrano, Quigley, Rodriguez, Martinez and Bullis combined for nine hits in the game. Othello scored three runs in the first, two in the second, three in the fourth, and one in the sixth to come away with the win.

The victory over Granite Falls put the Huskies in a third round game against Fife. The contest was slated to start 30 minutes after the game against the Tigers, but rain delays earlier in the day pushed the third round to Saturday morning.

Othello 7

Fife 4

The Trojans jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first inning of play. The Huskies answered back in a big way with a grand slam by Salgado in the top of the second to knot the game up 4-4. It was Salgado's first home run of the season.

"It couldn't have come at a better time," Ochoa said. "We went on to score two more runs in the third and one in the fifth to end all the scoring for the game."

Othello pounded out 13 hits in the come-from-behind win. Salgado was 2-for-4 with the grand slam, Kalinda Kosters had three hits in three at bats, Diamond Franco had two hits in two plate appearances with a double, and Holly Fleshman and Kirsten Quigley finished with two hits each. Madison Martinez got the win in the circle for the Huskies.

Othello 11

Colville 0

The Indians from the Great Northern League were undefeated coming into the state tournament. But after a first round loss to RA Long, Colville dropped down to the consolation bracket and picked up a 12-0 win over Olympic to stay alive. The Indians didn't hang around long, however, as Othello sent them packing with an 11-0 loss.

The game was scoreless until the Huskies hung four runs on the board in the fourth inning.

Othello broke the contest wide open with seven runs in the fifth to close it out as Colville failed to score in the bottom of the frame and the 10-run rule came into play. Martinez picked up her second win of the tournament.

Othello 14

WF West 6

The third game of the day was a rematch with WF West. Othello got on the board first when Bullis went yard in the bottom of the first inning to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead. The score held up until the Bearcats brought four runners home in the top of the third to go up top 4-1. Othello closed the gap to 4-2 when Bullis crossed the plate again in the bottom of the inning.

The Huskies regained the lead 5-4 in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs and the bags full, Kosters belted a pitch well over the center field fence to push the score to 9-4.

Othello wasn't done yet as Quigley hit a two-run shot out of the park to make it 11-4. WF West got a run back in top of the fifth to try and make a game of it, 11-5.

But the Huskies refusing to yield, put runs on the board in the bottomfifth and sixth innings to increase their lead to 14-5.

A single shot by the Bearcats in the top of the sixth rounded out the scoring for the game, 14-6 in favor of Othello.

Quigley led the hit parade for the Huskies, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run and a double.

Bullis was 2-for-3 with a home run, Kosters had two hits in five at bats with a grand slam, and Madison Martinez went two-for-five with a double. Martinez picked up her third win of the tournament.

Othello 11

Sedro Wooley 7

The final game of the day was a battle for third and fourth place between the Huskies and Cubs.

"Both teams were very tired, and it became a slug fest with each getting there licks in and neither team wanting to give up the better placing," Ochoa said. "But our girls were determined to end the day with the third place trophy."

Sedro Wooley got on the board first with a two-run home run in the top of the second. Othello answered back with a solo shot by Quigley in the bottom of the third, and then proceeded to score five more times on five consecutive hits to race out front 6-2.

The Cubs got two runs back in the top of the fourth to tighten things up, 6-4.

Othello responded with a three-run dinger by Quigley, her second homer of the game, and third on the day, to make it 9-4 Huskies in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Sedro Wooley, not about to go away quietly, brought three runs across the plate in the top of the sixth to get within two and put a scare into Othello, 9-7.

The Huskies answered back with a two-run shot by Bullis to give Othello some breathing room, 11-7.

It looked as though Othello had the game in the bag, but with two outs and two on base in the top of the seventh, a Cubs batter drove the ball to deep left field that appeared to be leaving the park.

But Quigley reached up and gabbed it at the apex of her jump to end the threat and to sow up a third-place finish for the Huskies.

Martinez got the win again for Othello.

"Madison (Martinez-pitcher) and Sofie (Rodriguez-catcher) have got to be commended  on their play," Ochoa said. "Madison pitched every single game on Saturday and Sofie caught every game on Saturday also. They are both going to be very sore for the next few days."