Junior Olivia Matlock crushed a 250-foot, three-run homer over the center field wall to spark a 14-run first inning and Pe Ell-Willapa Valley ran away with a 15-0 victory over Onalaska in the 2B District 4 quarterfinals in Pe Ell on Tuesday.
“We started off with a hit batter, then a nice bunt, they couldn’t field it, then Olivia hits it out and we’re off to the races,” PWV coach Ken Olson said.
The Titans smacked 11 total hits and hit around the order twice in the first inning to stun the visiting Loggers, who were coming off an 18-8 win over Morton-White Pass in a district opener on Monday.
Matlock was 1-for-2 at the plate with three RBI, scored two runs and walked once. She was equally effective in the circle tossing three scoreless innings while striking out four and allowing three hits.
“I knew we were going to come out with a win but it feels good to get it done and over with,” Matlock said.
Merissa Frazier was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate while scoring three runs. Senior shortstop Annika Mason was 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI and freshman Grace Huber went 2-for-2 with three RBI and two runs.
Also collecting hits for the Titans were Payton Peterson (2-for-2 with two RBI and a run) and Raegan Portmann (1-for-2 with two runs). Sadie Howard and Ava Bush each drove in a run as well.
“It all starts on the mound with us,” Olson said. “If (Olivia) is on, she’s tough. But we can also hit. We’re seeing the ball really well right now at the plate, from top to bottom. We don’t really have a weak spot in the order right now, and that’s unusual for a high school team. I’ve done this a while and, I tell ya, to get everyone in the lineup contributing is a blessing for a coach.”
Onalaska’s three hits came from junior center fielder Hannah James, junior Saylor “Popeye” Stone and junior Hope Rhodes.
Dylan “Pickle” Zigler started in the circle for the Loggers, tossing ⅓ of an inning while allowing eight earned runs on five hits with two walks and no strikeouts.
Eighth grader Lisa Liddell pitched the final 1.2 innings in relief, surrendering five earned runs on six hits with three walks and no strikeouts.
Onalaska’s season ends with a 7-4 overall record. Seniors Hailey Naillon and Abby Shelton played their finals games for the Loggers.
PWV, the Pacific 2B League champion, improves to 13-0 and hosts Pacific 2B’s No. 3 seed, Forks, at 4 p.m. on Friday in the district semifinals.
Adna pounded out 13 hits and had little trouble in its playoff opener Tuesday, drubbing Rainier 12-0 in five innings.
Haley Rainey led the way, homering twice and pitching the first two innings to get the win. The senior launched a solo shot in the first inning and added a two-run shot in the second that put Adna up 9-0.
In the circle, Rainey retired all six batters she saw in two innings of work with four strikeouts.
Ava Simms took over in the third inning and fanned eight, with one hit, the rest of the way.
Nine different players had hits for Adna. Kaylee Ashley and Keaton Dowell were both 2-for-2 with a double, while Danika Hallom was 2-for-2 with a triple. Presley Smith and Karlee Von Moos added triples.
Rainier’s season ends with a 7-3 overall record as the Mountaineers capped off their best season in years. Rainier’s lone senior, Emily Karnes, played her final game for the Mountaineers. Modestie Jackson had their lone hit on the day.
“Adna is ranked No. 1 in the state for a reason,” Rainier coach Kyle Greenwood said. “They’re the aim, the goal for the rest of the league to reach. Taking them to five innings is a huge progress.”
Adna (14-0) hosts Ocosta on Friday, at 4 p.m., in the district semifinals. The Wildcats beat Toutle Lake, 3-0, on Tuesday, thanks to a 12-strikeout, three-hit shutout by pitcher Annika Hollingsworth.
Toledo ran into a buzzsaw, striking out 16 times to Forks ace Chloe Leverington, a Saint Martin’s signee, in an 8-3 elimination loss in the district quarterfinals Tuesday at home.
“It’s really tough to win when you strike out 16 times,” Toledo coach Chad Williams said.
Toledo was only out-hit 9-7 by the Spartans but were unable to plate runs with timely hitting, Williams said.
Haileigh Holmes led off the top of the sixth with a triple that bounced off the top of the outfield fence, but the Indians were only able to plate one run that inning. Holmes finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Greenlee Clark went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Two seniors played their final games for the Indians: Holmes and Gracie Madill.
“With COVID, they missed a bunch of opportunities,” Johnson said. “They made it to state as sophomores. I truly believe this group would have made it back had we been given the opportunities. We’re just thankful for the games we were able to play.
Toledo ends its season with a 10-2 record, with its only two losses coming against university-bound pitchers.
