SPORTS: Port Angeles and Sequim advance at West Central District softball tournament; Chimacum goes to state as No. 1 softball seed

TACOMA — The rain finally held off for at least one day.

Port Angeles and Sequim softball teams both advanced between storms at the West Central District tournament Monday at Sprinker Recreation Center.

The wins came just in time because another storm is expected to hit Tacoma today and the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association has mandated that the district tournaments be over by today.

“We’re lucky we got our game in [Monday],” Port Angeles coach Buddy Bear said. “If no games can be played [today], we would go to state because of our win.”

Eight Class 3A teams won Monday and there are eight WCD 3A seeds to state. So the eight winners would advance to state if the rest of the tourney is called off.

The Roughriders (12-9) got themselves into the comfortable position by beating talented Auburn Mountainside (15-6) 4-0 behind the standout pitching of ace Stacy Webb (8-7).

The Sequim Wolves, meanwhile, stayed alive in the Class 2A tournament by pounding Eatonville 10-0 in six innings in a loser-out game.

The Wolves now are in double-elimination competition and have a good shot at a state berth.

All state softball tournaments start Friday.

Port Angeles 4, Auburn Mtn. 0

Auburn Mountainside was no pushover for the Riders.

“They’re a good team,” Bear said. “We beat their top pitcher.”

It took until the fourth inning for the Riders to figure out Auburn ace Alleyah Armendaziz.

“We waited her out,” Bear said.

Port Angeles scored three runs in the fourth and another in the fifth and Webb did the rest.

Webb struck out nine and walked only two in the seven-inning game. She also helped herself out by going 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run.

Hannah Wahto went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.

The Riders are set to take on state No. 9-ranked Franklin Pierce today.

The game originally was scheduled for 10 a.m. but was pushed back until the afternoon.

Now if only the rain could hold off another day.

“It’s a weather-waiting game,” Bear said.

Port Angeles 4, Auburn Mountainside 0

Auburn Mtn. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ­– 0 7 2

Port Angeles 0 0 0 3 1 0 x — 4 6 1

WP- Stacy Webb (8-7)

Pitching Statistics

Port Angeles: Webb 7 IP (9K, 2BB).

Hitting Statistics

Port Angeles: Hannah Wahto 2-3 (2RBIs, R); Webb 1-3 (RBI, R); Miranda Pitz 1-2 (R); Sheri Adams 1-2 (R).

Sequim 10, Eatonville 0

It took only six innings for theWolves to dispatch the Cruisers.

Sequim (19-3) scored seven runs in the fifth and sixth innings to blow open a close game and advance against No. 1 seed Steilacoom today.

The Sentinels went undefeated in Class 2A Nisqually League.

The Steilacoom game is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

“It’s nice to get our first one out of the way,” Sequim coach Mel Hendrickson said.

“I think we can play with those guys,” he said about Steilacoom.

Sequim has gone to state three straight years and has been to state six times in Hendrickson’s eight years at the helm.

The Wolves best finish was fifth place at state, and they claimed seventh a year ago.

Pitching ace Demiree Briones (16-3) pitched a one-hit shutout against Eatonville with eight strikeouts and a lone walk.

Cindy Miller went 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs while Maddy Zbaraschuk was 3-for-4 with a double and RBI.

Briones helped herself by going a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBIs.

Sequim 10, Eatonville 0

Eatonville 0 0 0 0 0 0 ­– 0 1 3

Sequim 0 2 0 1 4 3 — 10 17 0

WP- Demiree Briones (16-3)

Pitching Statistics

Port Angeles: Briones 6 IP (8K, 1BB, 1H).

Hitting Statistics

Port Angeles: Cindy Miller 3-4 (2RBIs); Lea Hopson 2-4; Maddy Zbaraschuk 3-4 (2B, RBI); Briones 3-3 (2RBIs); Chelsea Winfield 2-4 (2RBIs); Jazzy Bradbury 2-3 (2RBIs).

Chimacum to state

SEDRO-WOOLLEY — The Chimacum Cowboys (18-3) head to state for at least the fourth straight year after easily winning the Class 1A Tri-District championship last weekend.

The Cowboys dominated at Tri-District, beating Lynden Christian 11-5 in the first game and then ripping Cedar Park Christian 12-6 in the tournament championship game.

Chimacum will take the Tri-District No. 1 seed to state at TRAC Softball Complex in Pasco beginning Friday.

The Cowboys’ first opponent hasn’t been determined yet.

Chimacum has a 9-6 record at state the past three years, capturing fourth place last year and in 2007.

The Cowboys, who have seven seniors on the team, have a goal to make it to the championship game this year, coach Bobby Cossell said.

“Once you get to the championship game, anything can happen,” he said.

“We’re pretty healthy and we’re ready to go.”

The Cowboys came close last year, struggling in only one game, a 13-0 loss to eventual champion Montesano.

The defending champion still is playing in the district tournament, postponed because of rain, and still has a shot at a state berth.

“They still have their pitcher from last year but they lost their catcher and a few other players,” Cossell said.

“They are younger this year but they have a good program.”

The only other game Chimacum lost last year was a one-run extra-inning contest to Connell, which is playing in the opposite end of the bracket from the Cowboys this year.

Chimacum finished 10-0 in the Nisqually League this year and is undefeated in conference for the past three years.

The Tri-District championship game was close through the first four innings before the Cowboys began distancing themselves from Cedar Park Christian.

Cedar Park led 4-2 after two innings but the Cowboys took the lead, 6-5, after three innings.

Then Chimacum scored two runs each in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to break out to a 12-5 lead.

That was all the Cowboys needed.

Ace pitcher Brittany Nelson, 12-2 on the year and the Nisqually League MVP, came in the third inning and gave up just one run on one hit while fanning three batters in the final 4 2/3 innings to shut down Cedar Park.

Arlie Petrick started the game for Chimacum and went 2 1/3 innings, striking out two.

Samantha Benner led at the plate by going 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a double while Tara Peters had a triple, two RBIs, scoring three runs and walking twice.

In the first game Nelson started on the mound, striking out three while going six innings while Petrick threw the seventh, giving up no runs.

Nelson helped herself at the plate, going 2-for-5 with a two-run home run while Petrick was 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI.

Benner went 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored.

Tri-District Championship Chimacum 12, C. Park Christian 6

Chimacum 0 2 4 0 2 2 2 ­– 12 13 3

Cedar Park 0 4 1 0 0 0 1 — 6 8 2

WP- Arlie Petrick

Pitching Statistics

Chimacum: Petrick 2 1/3 IP (5R, 7H, 2K, 2BB); Brittany Nelson 4 2/3 IP (1R, 1H, 3K).

Hitting Statistics

Chimacum: Samantha Benner 2-3 (3RBIs, 2B); Tara Peters 1-3 (3B, 2RBIs, 3R, 2BB); Krista Hathaway 3-4 (2RBIs, 2R); Lacey Carter 2-5 (2RBIs, R); Mallori Cossell 1-2 (RBI, R).

Tri-District Semifinal Chimacum 11, Lynden Christian 5

Chimacum 2 0 3 0 3 2 1 ­– 11 13 1

Lynden Christian 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 — 5 9 4

WP- Brittany Nelson (12-2)

Pitching Statistics

Chimacum: Nelson 6 IP (3K, BB); Arlie Petrick 1 IP.

Hitting Statistics

Chimacum: Samantha Benner 3-4 (RBI, R); Nelson 2-5 (2R, HR); Petrick 3-5 (2B, RBI, 2R).

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