YAKIMA — Forks had a shot at a state softball championship but couldn’t take down the big bad on the block Class 2B powerhouse Adna in a 12-3 loss Saturday at the Gateway Sports Complex.
The Spartans (17-8), who finished third at state last season, tied the school record for the highest-ever finish in a team sport with the 2014 Forks wrestling squad.
Forks’ offense was limited to a Keira Johnson RBI single and a two-run home run by Chloe Gaydeski by Adna sophomore pitcher Ava Simms.
The Pirates collected 16 hits as a team in the game. Lower Columbia-bound senior Brooklyn Loose went 4-for-5 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored. Danika Hallom had a 3-for-5 game, while Karlee VonMoos and Kendall Humphrey both added a pair of hits.
Forks will graduate all-leaguers Kadie Wood and Kyra Neel along with Catalina Armas and Ashlynn Carstensen, but the team should return enough talent to make a repeat visit to state in Yakima.
The Spartans matched the highest finish ever by a Forks team — the 2014 wrestling squad, which placed second at the Mat Classic.
Forks 12, Okanogan 1
YAKIMA — Forks dispatched No. 3 seed Okanogan 12-1 in five innings in the semifinal Saturday at Gateway Sports Complex, putting the Spartans into the state championship game..
Forks did enough in the first inning to take down Okanogan. Keira Johnson doubled home younger sister Bailey, Liz Soto followed with another RBI double and Chloe Gaydeski came through with an RBI single for an early 3-0 lead.
The seventh-seeded Spartans (17-7) added another in the second on a Kadie Wood RBI single and exploded for eight runs in the third.
Soto added a two-run double to get things going in the big inning. After some baserunning and Okanogan errors brought in a pair of runs, Kyra Neel rounded out the scoring with a two-run double to center.
Gaydeski wasn’t bothered in the circle throwing strikes on 38 of her 48 pitches and allowing one run on five hits.
Riders 3-2 at state
SELAH — Port Angeles came one win away from a top four state trophy at the Class 2A State Softball Tournament at Carlon Park in Selah.
The Roughriders stayed alive Saturday morning with a loser-out 15-6 win over league rival Olympic, but couldn’t stop Evergreen League champ Aberdeen in a 17-7 loss late Saturday afternoon for third place.
Port Angeles finished the season with a 20-7 record with a team that only loses four seniors — Lily Halberg, Cheyenne Zimmer, Alexis Perry and Taylor Worthington.
Olympic League rival North Kitsap (25-0) capped an undefeated season with its first state softball championship with an 8-1 win over Ridgefield.
Friday’s games
Port Angeles walked it off against Lynden late Friday evening to stay alive as freshman Lynzee Reid’s line-drive double to left brought home two runs in an 8-6 triumph over the Lions.
The Roughriders tied the game earlier in the inning when Taylor Worthington singled, moved to second on a passed ball and third on Natalie Robinson’s single. She scored on a second passed ball.
Port Angeles’ Abby Kimball also hit a two-run home run and Heidi Leitz had a two-run single.
Cheyenne Zimmer pitched six innings, allowing four earned runs on six hits and four walks with seven strikeouts.
Earlier Friday, No. 6 Port Angeles stayed alive in the Class 2A tournament with a 10-0 loser-out win over East Valley (Yakima) in five innings Friday afternoon at Carlon Park.
Natalie Robinson hit two two-run home runs in the contest to reach three on the day to power the Roughriders. Lexie Smith added a bases-clearing double and Reid added an RBI single for Port Angeles.
Heidi Leitz was strong in the circle, allowing one hit and three walks while striking out five.
