HOQUIAM — The North Olympic Junior Babe Ruth softball program won two state championships Friday and Saturday.
Another team is one win away from a state title while a fourth squad was eliminated from state play.
The 14U team captured the state title Friday by beating Mount Baker in two games while it took the 16U team three games to subdue Mount Baker and claim the state championship Saturday.
The 14U girls defeated Mount Baker 11-1 on Thursday and 6-1 on Friday to finish the tourney with a 2-0 record.
Thursday was a good day for Dove Lucas as she was named MVP for the first game.
Lois Harding had a great performance and was named MVP for the tournament for her hitting and outstanding play in the field.
“Overall, it was a great tournament for us,” North Olympic manager Tom Kirk said.
“We had key defensive plays, including five double plays in two games. We ran the bases well and played outstanding defense.”
The 14U regional championships start July 22 in Meridian, Idaho.
Another state title
The 16U girls didn’t have it quite as easy with Mount Baker putting up a fight in the first game, thumping North Olympic 12-0.
“We had lots of mistakes and just didn’t show up,” manager Warren Stevens said.
“I told the girls it was either win or go home.”
The 16U girls battled back as Port Angeles High School ace pitcher Stacy Webb went the distance on the mound, giving up seven hits and striking out two in the second game to win 6-2 to tie the series and stay alive.
It was all or nothing in Saturday’s game three as both teams came to play only to have North Olympic come up big with the bats and score five runs in the first inning.
Mariah Frazier had a big bat in the sixth as she crushed an in-the-park two-run homer to add a few more.
Lauren Aguirre, being the youngest player and only 14 year old on the team, came up big as she caught all three games.
North Olympic sent Mount Baker packing with Webb pitching a five-hit shutout to win the game 8-0 and bring home the state championship.
“It was a strong Baker team, only losing five games this year,” Stevens said.
“Neither pitcher hardly had any strikeouts but the defense was solid and there were no errors in the last two games. It took a total team effort.”
One win away
The North Olympic 10U team is a perfect 6-0 and is a victory away from the state title.
Port Angeles plays the winner between Ellensburg or Ferndale today for all the marbles.
North Olympic only has to win one game while its opponent has to win two.
“The whole team is playing unbelievable,” North Olympic manager Randy Steinman said.
“All the pitchers are throwing strikes while different kids are getting key hits every day. And our defense is great. We are averaging just one error a game.”
Port Angeles played two games each Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, the team beat Upper Kittitas County 14-2 and Forks (West End) 12-1 and on Saturday Port Angeles defeated host Hoquiam 15-3 before ripping Ellensburg 19-4 in the semifinals.
North Olympic plays the first of a possible two championship games today starting at 1 p.m.
One team bounced
The North Olympic 12U team had a strong showing but lost in the losers’ bracket Saturday to end its state hopes.
Ellensburg nipped Port Angeles 4-3 in a Saturday morning game but North Olympic battled back in the losers’ bracket, beating Mount Baker 11-1 but losing to Hoquiam 8-6 in the final consolation game.
Port Angeles claimed fourth in the tourney.