ELLENSBURG — The North Olympic Babe Ruth softball program of Port Angeles continued its dominance in state and regional play.
North Olympic beat nemesis Hoquiam 7-3 for the regional championship Sunday for its 10th trip to the World Series in 11 seasons.
It also will be the second year in a row that Port Angeles will play in the 16U World Series.
The North Olympic 14U Babe Ruth softball team also captured the regional crown Sunday by beating Hoquiam 1-0. The 14U team will not advance, though, because there is no World Series at this age level.
In 16U action, Port Angeles and Hoquiam have played six times in the past two weeks in state and regional tournament competition.
North Olympic won the last two games to take the “series” 4-2 between the two rivals.
Port Angeles’ victory in Sunday’s regional championship game earned it a berth in the Babe Ruth World Series, which starts Aug. 6 in Lamar, Colo.
Sunday’s gutsy win by North Olympic showed a lot of moxie as the area all-star team again received strong pitching from Sarah Steinman, some timely hitting to produce seven runs and virtually seamless defense that held a potent Hoquiam team in check the whole way.
North Olympic opened the scoring in the bottom of the first as a rare error by the Hoquiam defense allowed leadoff hitter Maddi Heinrichs to reach base and start an early rally.
It was Tori Holcomb’s double to the left-centerfield fence that scored Heinrichs.
After Mariah Frazier drew a walk, there were two runners on for Steinman’s clutch, two-out single that scored two.
Steinman was driven home by Tori Kuch’s single through the left side, and after one inning North Olympic led 4-0.
Hoquiam wasn’t able to get to Steinman until the third inning when it scored two runs after a hit batsman, two fielder’s choice plays and a lone base hit.
That rally was squelched, however, with a slick North Olympic defensive play for the third out.
The Hoquiam base hit to left fielder McKayla Cox was relayed back to shortstop Frazier, who alertly fired the ball to second baseman Holcomb, who put the tag on Hoquiam’s Jessica Madison trying to take an extra base after the single.
North Olympic then roared back with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning when Ralena Black Crow singled to drive in Kearsten Cox and Steinman, who had walked and singled, respectively.
Black Crow would then score after a fielder’s choice out sent her to third, then a Hoquiam wild pitch allowed her to score.
That would be it for North Olympic’s scoring, but it was all it needed as Hoquiam could manage just one more run the rest of the way.
Hoquiam saw each of its middle inning scoring threats stifled by Steinman’s sharp pitching and the glove work of the defense behind her.
Now it’s on to Colorado for the North Olympic squad, and yet another try at the 16U Babe Ruth World Series title.
14U champions
ELLENSBURG — North Olympic shut out Hoquiam 1-0 in Sunday’s championship game and an extra-inning comeback win against East Boise (Idaho) on Saturday to get to the title contest.
In the championship game, North Olympic pitcher Dusti Lucas had a perfect game through six innings with five strikeouts.
She allowed only two hits for the game. This was after Lucas pitched eight innings just 12 hours earlier Saturday evening in a win over East Boise.
Overall, Lucas had three tournament wins, scattering only 12 hits over 22 innings against tough East Boise and Hoquiam teams.
North Olympic catcher Haley Gray caught all but three innings during the five games, and did a great job behind the plate with the bruises to prove it.
Offensive leaders for the North Olympic squad were Ashlee Reid (13-for-19) and Alicia Howell (9-for-16), who also played exceptionally well at third base and second base, respectively.
“All 10 young ladies on the North Olympic team showed a lot of heart in this tournament,” manager Steve Gray said.
“The extra-inning comeback win over East Boise to get to the championship game and the hard-fought 1-0 championship win over Hoquiam were some of the best softball I have experienced in girls fastpitch-tournament play.
“Their effort and determination down to the very last out was what it took to beat a Hoquiam team that had beaten the North Olympic team three of the four previous meetings dating back to the state playoffs.
“Perhaps, most impressive was that girls from other teams already knocked out of the tournament by North Olympic came to cheer them on in the championship game because of the great sportsmanship these young ladies showed.
“These 10 girls stuck together and supported each other over the three-day tournament.
“I am surprised any of them have any voice left given the amount of cheering they did.
“There is no World Series play for the 14U age group, so their season is done, but what a great way to go out.”
In Sunday’s championship game in the fifth inning with one out in a scoreless tie, Cara Cristion and Kim Hatfield had consecutive hits, and then Hope Wegener moved them over to second and third with a sacrifice bunt.
With two outs, Dawn Oliver hit the ball to the right side of the infield to score the winning run.
In the bottom of the seventh, Hoquiam put the pressure on North Olympic with the first two batters getting hits, creating a first-and-third situation with no outs.
The next batter hit a line drive out to shortstop Cristion, who made the throw to third baseman Reid with the runner off the bag for the double play.
Hoquiam still fought back, getting the potential tying run to second before Cristion fielded a ground ball and made the throw to first baseman Karley Bowen, who made a great assist to end the game.
In Saturday’s single elimination bracket play, Port Angeles had another close game against East Boise, winning 4-3 in extra innings.
North Olympic tied the game 1-1 in the sixth with a two-out clutch hit by Oliver to score Cristion.
North Olympic added three more runs in the top of the eighth on hits by Cristion, Kim Hatfield, Bowen and Carly Gouge.
In the bottom of the eighth, East Boise fought back by scoring two runs, but a great catch by centerfielder Gouge slowed the rally that ultimately fell short.
The win propelled North Olympic into the championship game on Sunday for a rematch against Hoquiam.
Eight players contributed hits with Cristion, Bowen, Reid and Haley Gray having two hits apiece.
Pitcher Dusti Lucas was impressive, going all eight innings in this must-win game.