The Tornado and Blazer softball teams were tied for first place in the South Sound Conference prior to the opening pitch of the rivalry matchup on Tuesday, April 23, at Timberline High School. With early and potential league championship implications on the line, Timberline defeated Yelm, 6-2.
The blue skies, green grass and packed stands created a picturesque setting at THS during the afternoon hours of the conference matchup. With big postseason indications hanging in the balance, the dugouts of both Yelm and Timberline were energized and audibly excited for the contest.
Despite loading the bases in the top of the first inning, Timberline’s starting pitcher Jasmyn Polanco had a strong performance against the Tornados. She pitched all seven innings for the Blazers, surrendering two earned runs and seven hits, while striking out eight batters and walking just two. She also received the victory.
“We’re probably going to see more pitchers like that during the postseason than we will in our league,” Yelm’s head coach Lindsay Walton said. “You gotta be ready for someone who has velocity and can hit a corner well. You have to be prepared to get after those pitches, have bat speed and adjust to the umpire’s zone.”
Yelm’s starting pitcher, sophomore Mallory Hoke, received the loss for the Tornados after allowing five hits and three runs across three innings. She struck out one batter and walked five. Freshman Riley Smith took over in relief during the fourth inning and allowed three earned runs across three innings pitched. She struck out one batter and walked four.
Yelm had opportunities to put runs on the board early in the contest after loading the bases in the top of the first inning. Senior second baseman Elissa Dewees and senior center fielder Madisyn Erickson led off the game with back-to-back walks for the Tornados.
With two outs, freshman third baseman Kamille Kautz reached first base on a fielding error. This loaded the bases for the Tornados, who walked away with no runs in the inning after a strikeout from junior Layah Hicks.
“We had seven base runners left on, including three in the first inning with the bases loaded. We weren’t able to pull a runner across, and that was unfortunate. You gotta score soon, you gotta score early, and you gotta score often. That was where we fell flat,” Walton said. “A lot of our batters went deep in the count. We did have quality at-bats, however. We also got rung up a few times on that inside pitch that nobody was expecting. We started getting after that a little more later in the game, which is where those hits came from.”
Like the Tornados, Timberline loaded the bases in the first inning after starting the contest with a walk and two singles. The Blazers scored its first run of the game after a bases-loaded walk, securing an early 1-0 lead. Yelm was able to get out of the inning following a double play, including an out at third base, and the inning-ending ground ball.
Timberline added another run in the bottom of the second inning on a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded, making the score 2-0. The Blazers scored once again with an RBI single, making the contest 3-0, before fouling out.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Blazers added another run after Kayleese Dorfner scored from third on a wild pitch. The Blazers led 4-0. Timberline added another run on error in the sixth inning when Lina McDaniel stole third and eventually reached home after an error by the Tornados catcher.
The Blazers scored again in the sixth inning after Lillian Covey doubled and scored Polanco. Timberline then led 6-0.
The Tornados scored its two runs in the seventh inning after Erickson smashed an in-park home run following a line drive to center field. Her trip around the bases scored Dewees, who singled in the at-bat before Erickson’s home run.
Yelm was scheduled to play the Capital Cougars, Monday, April 29, but Capital forfeited because it did not have enough players.
The Tornados then kicked off three consecutive matchups against SSC opponents, beginning with a road trip to Peninsula High School on Tuesday, April 30. Results of the contest were not available prior to publication.
“We gotta win. If we win the rest of our games, we’ll come out second in our league. That’s good going into the district tournament, and completely doable for our girls,” Walton said. “We need to score early and score often.”
Following the matchup with the Seahawks, Yelm hosted rival Gig Harbor on Wednesday, May 1, and were set to travel to North Thurston High School for a conference with the Rams on Thursday, May 2.
“Four days in a row is a lot. Leading up to that, I’ll tell the girls to stay hydrated and be mentally focused in practice,” Walton said. “We should beat every team that we face (this) week, unless we beat ourselves. We have beaten those teams this season. We know what they bring, and we know what we can do against them.”
