UPDATE: Added information for Hoquiam at the 1A State Championship softball tournament.

Despite there being no state softball tournaments for the past two seasons due to COVID-based regulations, the Pe Ell-Willapa Valley Titans looked like a team with plenty of state-playoff experience, 10-running Toledo in a five-inning 2B State Softball quarterfinal matchup on Friday at the Gateway Sports Complex in Yakima.

Third-seeded PWV (18-4 overall) got on the board early when senior pitcher Olivia Matlock smacked a two-run home run in the bottom of the first and the Titans added a run on Jillian Hodel single in the second to go up 3-0.

In the fourth, PWV put the game away.

The Titans scored six runs on a Grace Huber single; a Merissa Frasier sacrifice fly; a two-out, two-run double by Matlock followed by a two-run error to go up 9-0.

An inning later, PWV would earn the walk-off, mercy-rule victory when Huber led off with a double followed by a two-bagger from catcher Payton Peterson to end the game and send PWV into the state semifinals.

Matlock earned the win with a dominant performance over the Indians (17-10). The senior right-hander scattered five hits with seven strikeouts in an efficient five-innings pitched.

Matlock threw just 66 pitches — 46 for strikes — and didn’t walk a batter in the shutout victory.

Huber was a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs scored while Matlock drove in four runs for a Titans offense that had seven different hitters collect a base hit on Friday.

With the win, PWV advances to the state semifinals at 10 a.m. Saturday. The Titans will face No. 10 Rainier (18-5), which upset No. 2 Warden 16-2 in the quarterfinals.

Toledo 000 00 — 0 5 3

PWV 210 61 — 10 10 1

Toledo — Clark (2-3), Jurica (1-2), Bowen (1-2), Rodriguez (1-2). LP – Bowen (4 IP, 10R, 4ER, 10H, K, 2BB).

PWV — Huber (3-3, 2B, 3R, RBI), O. Matlock (2-3, HR, 2B, R, 4RBI), Peterson (1-3, 2B, R, RBI), Frasier (1-3, R, RBI), Bush (1-3), Shannon (1-3, R), Hodel (1-2, RBI). WP – O. Matlock (5 IP, 0R, 5H, 7K).

Hoquiam’s season ends in elimination round

Hoquiam won two out of three games on Friday to advance to Saturday’s elimination round, but the Grizzlies’ season ended with a loss in the elimination semifinals.

The Grizzlies won twice on Friday and advanced through the elimination round of the 1A State Softball Tournament at the Columbia Playfields in Richland.

Seventh-seeded Hoquiam (15-11) defeated No. 10 Cashmere 6-5 in the opening round.

Macy Dhooghe drove in two runs with two outs in Hoquiam’s four-run seventh to earn the walk-off win.

Hoquiam also turned a triple play in the second inning against the Bulldogs.

Hoquiam fell in the state quarterfinals with an 8-3 loss to No. 2 Nooksack Valley.

Despite outhitting Nooksack Valley 14-8 in the game, Hoquiam left 11 runners on base and struck out 15 times.

Facing No. 3 College Place in an elimination game, Hoquiam’s offense erupted to pick up a 13-3 victory on Friday.

Ashlinn Cady had two hits in the Grizzlies’ six-run sixth inning to go up 11-3.

On Saturday, Hoquiam’s season came to an end in a 9-7 loss to No. 1 Eatonville in the elimination semifinals.

The Cruisers scored seven of its runs on four home runs.

Houqiam’s Carron Blood cut the Eatonville lead to two with a two-run home run in the seventh, but the Grizzlies’ season ended with the tying runs on base.

Blood led the way for Hoquiam, batting .588 (10-17) with three home runs and 11 RBI against state competition.

Faith Prosch hit .529 (9-17) and Cady batted .471 (8-17) in the tournament.

Cashmere 100 030 1 — 5 2 1

Hoquiam 002 000 4 — 6 13 2

Hoquiam — Prosch (3-4), Dhooghe (2-3, 2RBI), Blood (2-4, HR, 2RBI).

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Hoquiam 000 020 1 — 3 14 6

Nooksack Valley 002 006 x — 8 8 0

Hoquiam — Blood (2-4, HR, 2RBI).

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College Place 000 030 0 — 3 9 5

Hoquiam 320 006 2 — 13 15 2

Hoquiam — Blood (3-5, 2B, 4RBI), Bonney-Spradlin (2-5, 2R, 2SB), Cady (2-5, 3RBI).

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Hoquiam 005 000 2 — 7 14 1

Eatonville 320 112 x 9 10 1

Hoquiam — Blood (3-4, HR, 2B, 4RBI), Folkers (2-4, 2R).