The Raymond-South Bend Ravens were rolling along for five innings in a 2B District 4 Tournament game against Napavine on Monday in Montesano.
But leading 8-0 in the top of the sixth, the wheels came off, putting the Ravens dangerously close to a gut-wrenching, season-ending defeat.
Somehow, some way, the young Ravens persevered, rallying for four runs to keep their season alive with a 12-9 win.
“We call it the sixth-inning scaries,” RSB head coach Dakota Brooks said of her team allowing eight runs in the top of the sixth to blow what was seemingly a comfortable lead. “I don’t know what it is. In the sixth and seventh innings we get afraid. But we came back, which we haven’t been doing in the last couple of games.”
Though the first five innings, Raymond-South Bend (11-9 overall) played sound, fundamental softball.
The Ravens hit the ball – scoring three runs in the first, two in the second and three in the fourth – highlighted by run-scoring doubles from catcher Ava Pine and third baseman Kassie Koski.
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Raymond-South Bend third baseman Kassie Koski drove in four runs, including the go-ahead run in the sixth inning – during a 12-9 win over Napavine in the 2B District 4 Tournament on Monday in Montesano.
They caught the ball – as evidenced by a tough catch from Pine against the netting behind home plate and a nifty running, over-the-shoulder catch in the left-center field gap by center fielder Emma Glazier to bookend the third inning.
And they pitched well – with starting right-hander Ashlee Payne holding the Tigers (12-7) scoreless on four hits through five innings.
But things began to snowball quickly for the Ravens in the top of the sixth as the Tigers loaded the bases with no outs, chasing Payne from the circle.
Napavine senior outfielder Danielle Tupuola then drove the first pitch from Ravens reliever Summer Stigall deep to center field, clearing the bases for a three-run double.
Stigall recorded an out when Tupuola was thrown out at home on a fielder’s choice ground ball and was nearly out of the inning after striking out Grace Pancake.
Tigers senior outfielder Cailyn Milton followed with a triple to score Hayden Kaut followed by three straight walks to make it an 8-5 ballgame.
Payne re-entered the game in the circle to face Napavine outfielder Avery Schutz, who stepped to the plate and drove a pitch toward the left-field foul pole. RSB left fielder Avree Payne drifted over but was unable to come up with the catch as the ball popped out of her glove. Three Tigers came in to score, tying the game at 8-8 as Schutz was thrown out attempting to reach third, bringing the Ravens’ nightmarish inning to a merciful end.
“We have a young team and, for a lot of them, this was their first district game,” Brooks said. “We have one error and that turns into four or five (runs) and they freak out. They know it, which is a good thing because they know their problem, but they came out of it.”
Rather than allow the misfortune of the inning to compound, the Ravens offense immediately got to work washing away any frustrations.
Glazier and Pine led off the bottom of the sixth with singles to set the table for the red-hot Kassie Koski, who belted a 1-2 pitch deep to center to score two runs and swing momentum back in the Ravens’ favor.
“I was looking for it inside. They had been throwing it inside pretty much the whole game,” Kassie Koski said of her clutch double. “I just sat on it and waited for it. … I was excited. We need this for our team and we worked so hard for it.”
Raydynn Morley gave RSB some insurance with a one-out double to score Kassie Koski followed later in the frame by a two-out RBI single off the bat of Cadence Swogger for a 12-8 lead.
“We really just pumped up our energy and we knew we needed to keep our heads it in and be gritty,” Kyndal Koski said of the Ravens’ four-run response. “We needed to help each other out and pick each other up.”
Napavine scored a run in the top of the seventh on a Tupuola double followed by an RBI single from Kaut, but Ashlee Payne retired Pancake on a fielder’s choice ground out and got Milton to pop out to Kyndal Koski at short to end the game.
“I said, ‘Did we win?’” Kyndal Koski asked upon catching the final out. “Everyone was like, ‘Yes’ and we just screamed. It was so fun. I wanted to make sure (it was the last out) because I didn’t want to look stupid.”
Payne got the win, allowing four earned runs on nine hits with no walks and a strikeout in 6 1-3 innings pitched.
Five different Ravens collected at least two hits in the game, with Kassie Koski leading the way with three hits, two doubles and four RBI.
With the victory, RSB advances to face Toutle Lake in a quarterfinal matchup at noon on Wednesday at Borst Park in Centralia.
The win also snaps a five-game losing streak to end the regular season, a streak that saw the Ravens’ late-game yips rear its ugly head.
“They’ve let it defeat them lately,” Brooks said. “Today, I looked at Raydynn Morley, our senior, and she just said, ‘Let’s fight back. Let’s do it for each other.’ We haven’t had that. … We could either go out with a six-game losing streak or we could go out with a win.”
“We just ended our losing streak and for our first year combined (Raymond with South Bend), it’s great,” Kassie Koski said.
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Raymond-South Bend players (from left) Kyndal Koski, Cadence Swogger, Raydynn Morley and Ashlee Payne celebrate a defensive play during a 12-9 win over Napavine in the 2B District 4 Tournament on Monday in Montesano.
Napavine 000 008 1 – 9 13 1
Raymond-South Bend 320 304 x – 12 13 1
WP: Ashlee Payne (6.1 IP, 4 R, 4 ER, 9 H, K). LP: Milton (3 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 7 H, K).
Leading hitters: Napavine – Tupuola (3-4, 2 2B, R, 3 RBI); H. Fay (2-4, R); Evander (2-3, 2B, 2 R, RBI); Kaut (2-4, R, RBI); Schutz (1-3, 2B, R, 3 RBI); Milton (1-3, 3B, R, RBI); C. Fay (1-2, R). RSB – Kas. Koski (3-4, 2 2B, 2 R, 4 RBI); Kyn. Koski (2-4, 2 R); Glazier (2-3, 2B, 3 R, RBI); Pine (2-3, 2B, 2R, RBI); R. Morley (2-4, 2B, R, RBI); Swogger (1-3, RBI); B. Morley (1-3, 2 R).
