It’s been quite awhile since prep spring sports teams got to compete for a spot in a state championship tournament and the Pe Ell-Willapa Valley Titans softball team are taking full advantage.
PWV won twice on Friday, defeating Toledo and Onalaska to earn a spot in the 2B State Championship Tournament and berth in the 2B District 4 championship game.
The eighth-ranked Titans (17-3 overall) opened its tournament against No. 9 Onalaska (14-6) in the quarterfinals.
PWV took a 4-0 lead in the second inning when outfielder Grace Huber smacked a three-run double followed later in the frame by a Lauren Matlock two-out RBI double.
Toledo would respond with four runs in the top of the fourth before PWV’s offense rallied in the bottom of the sixth.
In the frame, Huber singled home Lauryn Emery as the Titans regained the lead at 5-4. That was followed by catcher Payton Peterson’s line-drive home run to left to put PWV up 7-4.
PWV starter Olivia Matlock did the rest, recording a scoreless seventh to put PWV into the district semis, one win away from a spot in next week’s 2B State Tournament.
In the district semifinal, PWV faced ninth-ranked Onalaska (14-6), which defeated Raymond 9-8 in the quarterfinals.
The Titans wasted little time jumping on the Loggers, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first on an Olivia Matlock triple, a Raegan Portmann single, a passed ball and Grace Huber RBI base hit.
Leading 5-1 in the fourth, PWV added to its lead when Olivia Matlock belted a two-run home run to center field.
The senior pitcher/first baseman would belt another bomb to center to lead off the sixth, putting PWV up 9-1.
Dani Shannon doubled to drive in Rilyn Channell later in the sixth to put the Titans one run away from a 10-run mercy rule walk-off victory.
With courtesy runner Kylee Lyons on third with two outs, Peterson hit a sharp ground ball that skipped through Onalaska shortstop Callie Lawrence for an error and an 11-1 PWV victory.
Olivia Matlock went a perfect 4-for-4 with two home runs to lead a Titans offense that had 14 hits in the six-inning game.
“I think as a team, our offense did really great,” Olivia Matlock said. “We all came together and had clutch moments. Payton Peterson had a really clutch moment (with her home run) in that first game. … We just keep grinding, every at-bat.”
“In the first game, I think there was maybe a touch of some jitters,” said PWV head coach Ken Olson, who announced earlier this season that it would be his last as a head coach after more than 400 wins and 27 years of coaching softball. “This (game) had a different fell to it that the first one.”
Shannon picked up the win, allowing one run on seven hits with three strikeouts in six innings of work. The senior right-hander was in the zone, throwing 47 strikes on 68 pitches while working ahead in counts, throwing first-pitch strikes to 21-of-27 batters faced.
Shannon had help as the PWV defense made several great plays behind her, including a dart of a throw by right fielder Jillian Hodel to gun down Lawrence advancing to third in the top of the third and a superb diving catch by left fielder Grace Huber on a short pop fly.
Due to its prodigious offense and top-flight pitching, the PWV defense often gets overlooked, according to Olson.
“I don’t think a lot of people talk about our defense too much because you can get caught up in our offense,” he said. “You look out there and see us pounding the ball everywhere, but then we’re making the defensive plays.”
PWV will now face district and state rival Adna in a matchup of two of the 2B section’s premiere state programs.
The last time the two teams met was in 2019, when Adna defeated PWV 9-7 in the state-championship game.
“I’m pumped. I’m ready,” said likely starting pitcher Olivia Matlock of the matchup against Adna, one she has been waiting for since previous scheduled meetings during the regular season were rained out. “I’m excited to see and compete with them.”
The two teams will face off in the title game at 6 p.m. Saturday at Fort Borst Park in Centralia.
Regardless of the outcome, both teams will be going to state, which — having not had a state tournament to compete in the previous two seasons — means the world to the players.
“It makes me happy,” said Olivia Matlock, who pitched in the 2019 title game against the Pirates. “We have to just keep playing one game at a time, one pitch at a time.”
“It doesn’t make a difference who wins (the district title) game (Saturday),” said Olson, who guided the Titans to the 2017 state championship. “Certainly we’d like to win it, but if we don’t, we wish (Adna) well and will see them in state.”
Toledo 000 040 0 — 4 4 0
PWV 040 003 x — 7 12 2
Toledo — N/A.
PWV — Huber (2-3, 2B, 2R, 4RBI), Bush (2-3, R), L. Matlock (2-4, 2B), Peterson (1-3, HR, 2RBI), Shannon (1-3, R), Portmann (1-3, 2B, R), Frasier (1-4), O. Matlock (1-3). WP – O. Matlock (7 IP, 4R, 3ER, 4H, 9, 6BB).
~~~
Onalaska 001 000 — 1 7 1
PWV 410 213 — 11 14 1
Onalaska — Holmes (2-3), Stone (1-3, RBI), Zigler (1-2, R), James (1-2), Cleveland-Barrera (1-3), Lawrence (1-3). LP – Liddell (5.2 IP, 11R, 10R, 14H, 2K, 4BB).
PWV — O. Matlock (4-4, 2 HR, 3B, 4R, 4RBI), Portmann (3-3, 2B, 2B, R, 2RBI), Peterson (2-4), L. Matlock (2-3, 2B, 2R, RBI), Shannon (1-3, 2B), Huber (1-4, RBI), Hodel (1-3, R). WP – Shannon (6 IP, R, ER, 7H, 3K, BB).
Raymond bounced out of tournament
The Raymond Seagulls were competitive but came up short in two losses at the 2B District 4 Tournament on Friday, falling to Onalaska and Toledo to end their season.
The Seagulls (13-7) battled with Onalaska but eventually fell 9-8 in extra innings in the quarterfinals.
Raymond’s Callie McVey went 3-for-6 in the game with a two-run home run and three runs scored while Izzy Silvernail (2-4, 2 2B, 2R) and Sidney Swogger (2-5, 2B) collected two hits apiece.
In the elimination round, Raymond’s season came to an end after a late rally fell short in an 11-9 loss to Toledo.
Six different Seagulls collected base hits in the game, led by Kyndal Koski (2-5, 2R) and Silvernail (2-4, R).
No further information was available for this game.
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD The Pe Ell-Willapa Valley Titans await the arrival of Olivia Matlock (19) at home plate after Matlock smashed her second home run of the game in an 11-1 win over Onalaska in the 2B District 4 semifinals on Friday in Centralia.
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD The Pe Ell-Willapa Valley Titans were all smiles after securing a trip to the state tournament and berth in the 2B District 4 championship game with an 11-1 win over the Onalaska Loggers on Friday in Centralia.
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Raymond’s Callie McVey (5) is congratulated by teammate Candence Swogger after scoring a run in the Seagulls’ 11-9 loss to Toledo in the 2B District 4 Tournament on Friday in Centralia.
