It all comes down to this weekend.
The Twin Harbors will be well represented when four local schools will be competing for titles as the 1A and 2B State Championships begin on Friday.
Here is a preview of what some of the local hopefuls can expect in their opening-round games.
1A Opening Round: Montesano vs. Chewelah
Montesano’s Samantha Stanfield has been dominant this season with an ERA of 1.60 and will have a tough test ahead of her as she faces a powerful Chewelah batting order in the first round of the 1A state tournament in Richland.
The Cougars’ lineup ended the regular season atop the 1A Northeast standings and is anchored by Maddie Koler, who is batting .424 with an on-base percentage of .506 and a slugging percentage of .773.
Chewelah (20-2 overall) has more than just one dangerous player in its batting order and a pitcher who can pile up the strikeouts.
In the game where the Cougars clinched a spot in the state tournament, Chewelah got a five-inning perfect game out of Jaelynn Skok, who struck out six batters in the victory.
Skok will have her work cut out for her as she faces a Bulldogs team that has shown a tendency to come up with timely hits.
Lindsay Pace is heating up at the right time for the Bulldogs (20-3), tallying two homers during the district tournament to give her six on the season with a .492 batting average this year.
To go along with an impressive year in the circle, Stanfield has been wearing out opposing pitchers. The senior is hitting .426 and is second on the team with 28 RBI.
The two teams will clash at 10 a.m. on Friday at the Columbia Playfield.
1A Opening Round: Elma vs Cascade
The Eagles soared into the state tournament with a 7-2 win over Forks but will face a Cascade team that hasn’t dropped a game in over a month.
The Kodiaks (15-5) weren’t really tested in league play — losing just once — and showed an ability to win a close game with a 4-2 win over Okanogan to punch their ticket to the state tournament.
The roster is not particularity senior-heavy and will only lose three players to graduation at season’s end.
Elma (17-5) had to fight its way out of the loser’s bracket and secure two wins to earn a state-tourney berth after falling to eventual state-runner up Castle Rock.
The Eagles’ run to the tournament has been on the back of an offense that has come alive recently. Elma’s Destry Dineen went 2-for-3 with a homer and a walk in the team’s state-clinching victory.
Elma head coach Roger Elliot said he is confident his team can make a run and isn’t concerned about entering the tournament as the fourth seed.
“We’re happy to get there and now everyone starts out at 0-0 and we have a shot,” he said. “The last team that won state for Elma was a No. 4 seed. We have our shot, that’s all we wanted.”
Elma and Cascade will square off at 10 a.m. on Friday at the Columbia Playfield in Richland.
2B Opening Round: Pe Ell-Willapa Valley vs Orcas Island
The Titans will face a good offense in Orcas Island in the first round of the 2B State Championships.
Orcas Island (12-4) had to bounce back from a 15-5 loss to Friday Harbor with a 12-3 win over La Conner to make it to state.
Katy Minnis will be a big test for the PWV pitching staff as she leads Orcas Island with two home runs, 20 RBI and nine extra-base hits in 12 games.
In the circle, Flora Lister has got the lion’s share of the innings and will likely start the game against PWV. In seven starts, the freshman has a 5-2 record with 3.97 ERA .
The Titans (19-4) will counter the Vikings’ pitching with Britany Patrick, who is leading the team in all major hitting categories with a .529 batting average, 52 RBI and 11 homers.
PWV Senior Sidney Pollard has been dangerous in the batter’s box as well, hitting .429 with four home runs.
Kamryn Adkins has pitched well behind the run support she has received this season with a 3.42 ERA, an 18-4 record and 60 strikeouts in 77-2/3 innings pitched.
After the loss to Napavine in the district title game, Ken Olson said he is still confident that Adkins can get the job done.
“I told her after the game in front of her teammates that I thought she threw a solid enough game to win,” he said. “She put together a very good, solid game but both teams hit some hard balls.”
The two high-scoring teams will collide at 9 a.m. on Friday at the Gateway Sports Complex in Yakima.
2B Opening Round: Ocosta vs. Friday Harbor
After a win against Onalska in districts put them in state, the Wildcats have to prepare for Friday Harbor.
Friday Harbor (13-7) cruised through the 1A/2B Northwest League with a 10-0 record but had mixed results with its non-league schedule, going 3-7 in those contests.
The Wolverines get their leadership from their two senior middle infielders, Mili Holt at second base and Savannah Hoffman at shortstop.
Outside of the middle infield, Friday Harbor has a lot of youth with 13 underclassmen on the roster.
Ocosta’s Kaylee Barnum has been a tough out all season and comes into the Friday Harbor matchup with a .645 batting average, 58 RBI and 14 home runs.
The Wildcats have benefited from the hitting of younger sister Lillian Barnum, who is second on the team in batting average, hitting .483 and six home runs.
The Barnum sisters, along with Kristi Raffelson who has 10 homers and 34 RBI, have presented problems in the middle of the lineup to opposing pitchers all year.
Ocosta head coach Jason Barnum said he is confident in his offense and hopes some improvements on defense will help his team come out on top.
“We can put the stick on the ball. All we have to do is make the plays on defense and we’ll be right there with some of the top teams in the state,” he said. “We’re not just going over there to play, we want to bring home some hardware.”
Ocosta and Friday Harbor will face each other at 11 a.m on Friday at the Gateway Sports Complex in Yakima.
