W.F. West's Kenna Tornow and Chloe Lewis hug as the Bearcats celebrate a District IV 2A Softball Tournament Championship after beating Tumwater 5-4 on Friday in Fort Borst Park in Centralia on Friday.
W.F. West's Amber Taylor screams in joy after being handed the District IV 2A Softball Tournament trophy after the Bearcats beat Tumwater 5-4 on Friday at Fort Borst Park in Centralia.
W.F. West shortstop Dani Braun holds up the ball to show the umpire she tagged out Tumwater's Sarah Orgill during the third inning of the District IV 2A Softball Tournament title game at Fort Borst Park in Centralia on Friday.
W.F. West third baseman Kaitlyn Girardin snags a ground ball during the District IV 2A Softball Tournament Championship game against Tumwater at Fort Borst Park in Centralia on Friday.
W.F. West's Kaitlyn Girardin trots home after hitting a solo home run in the second inning of the District IV 2A Softball Tournament Championship Game at Fort Borst Park in Centralia on Friday.
W.F. West's Haley Graham delivers a pitch to a Tumwater batter during the District IV 2A Softball Tournament Championship Game at Fort Borst Park in Centralia on Friday.
W.F. West shortstop Dani Braun tosses the ball to first after fielding a Tumwater grounder during the District IV 2A Softball Tournament Championship Game at Fort Borst Park on Friday. The runner was out at first.
W.F. West shortstop Dani Braun backhands a Tumwater ground ball during the seventh inning of the District IV 2A Softball Tournament Championship Game at Fort Borst Park in Centralia on Friday.
The playoffs, as any coach or player will say, are a whole new season.
But don't think W.F. West came into Friday night's District IV 2A Softball Tournament championship game with no recollection of the regular season. Tumwater handed the Bearcats their only three losses in frustrating fashion — once in extra innings, once on a pair of 2-run homers and once on the type of infield error the Bearcats pride themselves on avoiding.
With the district championship on the line, though, things were a bit different. There was no need for extra innings, Tumwater's only home run was a bit too late, and the only Bearcat miscues weren't enough to give the Thunderbirds a leg up.
"The momentum was losing three times before," Bearcat coach Mike Keen said. "We knew if we tightened up a few things, we could beat 'em."
W.F. West, in its ninth-straight appearance in the championship game, made the fourth tango with Tumwater a charm and hoisted the trophy with a 5-4 win.
"We've been hanging in there," Keen said, of the three previous meetings with Tumwater. "These kids were just ready to play. They're a veteran group, and they came ready."
One key for W.F. West was getting to Tumwater fireballer Kierstin Smith early. Haley Graham and Dani Braun both singled in the first inning, though no runs were produced, and Kaitlyn Girardin led off the second inning with a solo home run.
"She's such a gifted pitcher," Keen said of Smith, last year's Evergreen 2A Conference Pitching MVP. "We just needed that message that we can put the ball in play and make things happen."
W.F. West hurler Haley Graham, meanwhile, struck out six, walked one, hit two batters and allowed five hits.
"(That's) better than I've pitched to Tumwater all the other games," she said afterwards. "We came out ready to play, with nothing to lose. They're the ones we wanted to beat."
"She did amazing," Bearcat shortstop Dani Braun said. "She just really shined tonight."
Tumwater took a 3-1 lead in the top of the third, on a sharp single that actually glanced off of Braun's hand when she made a diving attempt to barehand the grounder. Alyssa Ubrun then knocked a ball past a Bearcat outfielder and came around to score when the throw to third base was off.
W.F. West answered with a 4-run third inning. A single from Graham, a misplayed fielder's choice and a single from Lauren Fisher loaded the bases for Girardin, who was hit in the foot by a pitch to bring in a run. Chloe Lewis followed with a 2-run single, and an error on a ground ball from Caitlin Reynolds brought in the fourth score.
Graham faced only nine batters over the fourth, fifth and sixth frames, helped along by a double-play ball to Braun in the fourth. Tumwater's Ashley Wells hit a one-out solo homer in the seventh and the next batter reached on an error to keep things interesting, but Kaitlin Moore hauled in a fly ball in right field and Girardin snagged a low line drive at third to end the game.
"Twice, in the regular season, we didn't hang on," Braun said. "Tonight, we really buckled down. We didn't care that we'd lost three times. It was a new slate."
Fisher finished 2 for 3 at the plate, and Graham went 2 for 4.
W.F. West (18-3) will advance to the State 2A Softball Tournament for the ninth-straight season. The Bearcats finished third at state in 2008, 2010 and 2011. This year's tournament will be held May 25 and 26 at Carlon Park in Selah.
At Centralia
BEARCATS 5, THUNDERBIRDS 4
Tumwater 012 000 1 — 4 5 2
W.F. West 014 000 x — 5 8 2
Batteries: Tumwater — Kierstin Smith and Alexa McDaniel; W.F. West — Haley Graham and Amber Taylor
