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MOSES LAKE — Savannah Ashley stopped between first and second base, wondering what all the celebrating was about.

Without the benefit of the score-book inside the dugout during the playoffs, Ashley thought her RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning had only tied the game with Eastmont.

In actuality, Brooklyn Bailey represented the winning run at second base, so when Ashley's hit dropped into right-center field Bailey took off and slid safely home to win Moses Lake its fifth consecutive district championship 8-7.

“I just was looking for my pitch and I just wanted to hit it hard,” Ashley said. “When I saw it drop I was happy that we won as a team.”

The latest district title did not come easy.

Eastmont loaded the bases three times, had runners on every inning and led 7-4 after five innings.

And yet, like it's been all season, Moses Lake did not give up.

“The thing that I love about our team is that there's zero quit in them,” head coach Mike Hofheins said. “They don't lose their poise. They just kind of believe in themselves individually and as teammates and they just keep fighting. More often than not, something good is going to happen.

“That was the epitome of battle until the last out.”

Paige Valdez and Cheyenne Walker gave Moses Lake an early 2-0 lead after back-to-back RBI singles in the second inning.

However, that was the last time Moses Lake led until the final play of the game.

Maddie Sackman, Eastmont's No. 7 hitter, tripled to clear the bases in the third inning and hit an RBI single in the fifth to break a 3-3 tie. Sackman's single began a three-run fifth that put the Wildcats ahead 6-3.

Moses Lake starter Gina Skinner overcame a line drive off her knee to churn out 4 2/3 innings. Ashley came on in relief and stemmed the tide, allowing one hit and one run in the sixth and seventh inning.

“I think Gina did a great job,” Ashley said. “She came out strong and battled through when she got hit in the knee and she kept going and I think she did good.”

Any nervousness from either freshman pitcher playing in not only their first district championship game, but first playoff game, was undetectable by their coach.

“They've been in a lot of big softball games,” Hofheins said. “They've played a ton of softball... They have great maturity, super mature at-bats. Pitching, they're just mentally tough as pitchers... They just battle. I'd get in a foxhole with those two. I don't really think of them as freshman, although, I'm glad we have them for a few more years.”

Bailey started the rally with a solo shot in the fifth inning.

Moses Lake manufactured three more runs in the sixth inning to tie the game. A hard hit pitch by Walker scored Ashley, who led the inning off with a walk, Tia Radach drove in fellow senior captain Kaylee Valdez on a sacrifice fly ball and Walker came all the way around to score on a passed ball.

“We had a few mistakes out in the field, but we just had to learn to bounce back from them and stay in the game,” Kaylee Valdez said. “We really had to look forward to every out, that's what we had to do.”

Ashley worked a clean seventh inning to set up her heroics.

Bailey reached base with one out after she was struck in the head and advanced to second after a towering fly ball hit by Brooke Richardson was dropped in the outfield.

Ashley doubled into right-center field and was subsequently mobbed by her teammates.

“They (the younger players) showed me that they're fighters,” Kaylee Valdez said. “They even brought it out in me and they're younger and I'm still learning from them... They just have so much energy and passion for the game.”

Moses Lake is scheduled to play the No. 5 seed from District 3/4, which is Battle Ground, in the first round of state.

Box score

Highlights:

• Ashley 2.1 IP, 2x3, 2B, 1 RBI, 2 R;
• Bailey 2x3, HR, 1 RBI, 2 R;
• Richardson 1 RBI;
• Radach 1 RBI;
• Kaylee Valdez 2 R;
• Paige Valdez 1 RBI;
• Walker 2 RBI, 1 R;
• Michelle Turner 1x3, 1 R;
• Skinner 4.2 IP, 3 K