Moses Lake exits state tournament on Day 1

SPOKANE — Innocuous mistakes are magnified under the lens of the state tournament.

Mistakes in the field or on the base paths can prove costly against great teams.

Those little things added up to two losses for Moses Lake — 4-3 to Yelm in the first round and 7-2 to Central Valley in the consolation bracket — on the first day of the 4A state softball tournament. 

“It just wasn’t out day. It’s like déjà vu all over again,” said head coach Dave Gregory, who referred to Moses Lake’s two straight losses in the 2015 state tournament. “We hit the ball hard. Sometimes it was right at people, but the kids didn’t give up. You can’t judge us on this tournament, because every team here is good, for the great season we had.”

Typically a scorching hot time of the year, Moses Lake had to contend with cold, wind and rain in the 10 a.m. slot against Yelm.

“We can whine about it and make excuses for it, but the other team had to do the same thing,” Gregory said. “It’s tough to play in that type of weather and I thought we played really well. Yelm’s a really good team.”

Despite allowing a lead-off single Ally Choate, Marnie Skinner was able to strike out the side and finished with five punch-outs through two innings.

The Chiefs pulled ahead in the home half of the first when Skinner hit a RBI triple off the right field wall. More damage appeared ready to be done in the second when a walk by Aubrey Rowland and two singles by Brooke Richardson and Sierra Perales loaded the bases.

However, Yelm relieved starter Drea Schwaier with freshman Tayelyn Cutler who ended the threat with two straight strikeouts. Moses Lake would go on to strand nine runners in its first-round game, including two chances with the bases loaded.

The Tornadoes took the lead in the third inning with two runs before the Chiefs tied the game in the home half when Rowland’s RBI single skidded into the outfield on a funky hop up past the first baseman.

Yelm scored one run each in the fourth and fifth inning to take a 4-2 lead. Jaeden Ellis hit a sacrifice fly to right field and Carley Nelson hit a RBI single.

Brooklyn Bailey drew the Chiefs within one run on a RBI double in the bottom of the fifth. But Cutler extinguished the rally and retired the last five batters she faced.

“They brought in another pitcher and we couldn’t adjust,” Gregory said.

Trying to keep its season alive, another fast start by Moses Lake was wasted against Central Valley.

Skinner struck out the side and a bases-loaded walk put the Chiefs ahead 1-0. The Bears rallied for two runs in the second inning before Richardson tied the game in the home half, coming all the way around after drawing a walk.

After a scoreless third inning, Central Valley catcher Macie Reynolds gave the Bears the lead for good. With the wind swirling to left field, Reynolds blasted a solo home run over the fence. It was the beginning of five unanswered runs by the Bears.

“We had too many strikeouts in key situations,” Gregory said. “They tried hard. I’m proud of the kids. We played well all year and you have one bad day or one bad weekend shouldn’t justify what a great season we had.”

Warden finishes 3-2 at state

YAKIMA — Warden came one win from taking home some hardware at the 2B state softball tournament in Yakima.

The Cougars’ perfect season ended in the quarter finals against Pe Ell/Willapa Valley 12-3 after a 10-0 romp over Colfax in the first round. 

“We were so flat offensively and defensively,” head coach Wes Richins said. “We just couldn’t get anything rolling.”

Warden came back to beat league rival Kittitas 9-3 and Friday Harbor 11-1 before losing its last game to DeSales 1-0.

“They bounced back and they fought and they never gave up,” Richins said.

Aaliyah Enriquez was 7-for-16 from the plate and finished with 33 total strikeouts. Enriquez finished her high school career with 721 strikeouts, easily the most in Warden history.

Allycia Gonzales and Amanda Contreras both homered. Contreras also had five RBI and two doubles.

Despiting coming one win from a state trophy, the Cougars posted an overall record of 26-2.

Tennis

Area athletes compete in Seattle

SEATTLE — Ephrata’s Garner Sears won his first match in the 2A state boys singles tournament over Sequim’s Matthew Richards 6-3, 6-2 before losing his next two matches.

Othello’s Diego Villarreal dropped two matches in a row 6-0, 6-0 and 6-1, 6-1.

In the girls singles bracket, Ephrata’s Teighan Moore was eliminated after two matches 7-5, 6-0 and 6-1, 6-1.

Kylee Hawley and Zoee Roylance, of Othello, lost their first two matches in girls doubles 6-0, 7-5 and 6-3, 7-6.

Othello boys doubles team Kyle Villarreal and Collin Freeman went 1-2 with a 6-2, 1-6, 7-5 opening round loss followed by a 6-1, 1-6, 10-7 win and a 6-4, 6-2 loss.

Quincy’s Gunnar Petersen and Gonzalo Guerrero also went 1-2 in boys singles. The duo from Quincy lost in the first round 6-3, 6-4 before a 6-1, 6-2 win and 6-1, 6-1 loss.