Huskies finish third in 2A state tournament

OTHELLO – The Othello Huskies (22-6) finished third in the 2A State Tournament after falling to Anacortes 3-0 on Friday and defeating Selah 3-1 on Saturday. Head coach Sonny Garza said he was happy to see his team go out on top Saturday.  

“We had a really good season. Our goal was to get to the final four and see what happens. Finishing in third place is a huge accomplishment for these kids. I feel really proud of them; they've grinded a lot for so many years. So, these kids, these seniors, are a really special group, and they deserve to go out on top like that,” he said.  

In the semifinal game, the Huskies were shut out. In the first two innings, Anacortes would score three runs. According to Garza, the Huskies struggled with timely hits and putting the ball in play Friday. 

“We just kind of came out a little flat. We had a game plan that we felt would work, but we just couldn't really execute,” he said.  

Despite the offense never getting into the game, pitcher Sonny Salazar was able to step up defensively for the Huskies. After a slow start in the first two innings, Salazar was able to prevent Anacortes from scoring more runs. His solid effort included five strikeouts. Garza said he was able to settle down and take control of that part of the game.  

“There was a little adversity early on and even before the game started, but it's all about how you come back and how you answer back, and I know I had a good group of guys behind me. So, no matter what I came out with, I know that my guys are just going to be there to back me up and help me,” Salazar said.  

With the loss, the Huskies played Selah Saturday for third place. This was a rematch from the 2A District Championship game, where Selah was victorious, with a final score of 4-1.  

Early on, the box score seemed to foreshadow a defensive battle. The first three innings would go scoreless until the top of the fourth when the Huskies erupted for three runs. Selah would score a run in the bottom of the fourth, but pitcher Othello’s Aiden Garza would pull together a strong performance to hold them off for the rest of the game, including eight strikeouts.  

“They looked really good, our defense was there. Aiden threw a really good game. He pitched really good. He commanded his off-speed; he was able to throw several pitches for a strike,” Sonny Garza said.  

The Huskies wound up winning 3-1 and securing the top-three finish in the state bracket. Although it was not a state title, the Huskies were happy to end their season, and for some, their high school careers, beating a rival.  

“It felt amazing knowing that Selah was always our archrivals for our four years, so to gain this last win against them means everything to us,” Kal-El Ozuna said.  

Now that the season is officially over, senior players for the Huskies, Salazar, Ozuna and Jordan Montemayor said there will be a lot to miss now that this chapter is closed.  

“Hanging out with your boys every single day. These are guys that I've known since I was five years old, and not seeing them every day will be different, but we're definitely going to make sure we hang out after high school,” Montemayor said. 

Box Scores 

Semifinal:
ANAC: 2 1 0 0 0 0 -: 3
OTHE: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0: 0

Final:  

OTHE: 0 0 0 3 0 0 -: 3
SELA: 0 0 0 1 0 0 0: 1 

    The Huskies sharing a moment before their game against Selah earlier this season. The Huskies lost that game but redeemed themselves to end the year by beating Selah for the third-place spot in the state tournament.
  

    Kal-El Ozuna running to first base in a previous game against Walla Walla. Ozuna is a senior for the Huskies and said he was happy to finish his career defeating a rival.
  

    Sonny Salazar stepping up to bat for the Huskies in a previous game against Walla Walla. Salazar pitched a strong game against Anacortes despite the loss.