In its second win in as many days against a 3A squad, the W.F. West softball team gave up a couple runs early, but doubled down on offense in a 17-6, six inning, win against Timberline Thursday at Rec Park in Chehalis.
Gone is former league and All-Area MVP pitcher Kamy Dacus, who pitched just about every inning for the Bearcats each of the last four years, and in that vacuum W.F. West is still looking for a new pitcher to hang its hat on in 2023.
Luckily for whoever is in the circle for the Bearcats, their offense is more than capable of picking them up.
W.F. West blasted 17 hits past the Blazers’ defense, scoring runs in every single inning. The Bearcats also launched two shots over the left field fence, with Avalon Myers breaking the game opening with a two-run bomb in the third and Saige Brindle hitting a two-run shot in the sixth to end the game early.
“They’re hitting the ball, I just try not to get in their way too much,” W.F. West coach Kevin Zylstra said with a laugh.
Myers went 2 for 4 with three runs scored, three RBIs, and the home run, and Brindle went 3 for 5 with four RBIs and a home run. Brielle Etter also starred, going 2 for 4 with three RBIs and a run scored, and Lena Fragner had four runs scored at the leadoff spot.
All of those runs, including 17 on Wednesday in their season opener against 3A North Thurston, gives the W.F. West pitching staff a chance to get its legs under them before a tough league slate set to start next week against rival Tumwater.
“We’ve been looking for a pitcher to step up and take charge because we have a high octane offense and we just need someone to hold down the defense,” Zylstra said.
That pitcher on Thursday was sophomore Monroe Dalrymple in her first career varsity start. The sophomore went 2 2/3 innings, giving up six runs, with four earned, on two hits with a pair of strikeouts. Staysha Fluetsch stepped in for relief duty, throwing 3 1/3 innings and allowing just one hit with no runs.
Outside those two, junior Ella Young will also figure to throw some innings as the Bearcats look for their No. 1.
“I was proud of her, she battled,” Zylstra said of Dalrymple. “She ran out of gas a little bit so Staysha got in and put up zeroes. They did the job today. They’re stepping it up, I’m just excited for what's to come.”
A year removed from a third-place finish at state behind a ton of innings thrown by Dacus, but pretty much the same group of contributors behind her in the infield and at the plate, the expectations haven’t changed for a W.F. West group looking to get back to Selah and compete for a state championship.
“Ultimately, our goal is to play Saturday at 2 p.m. on Field 4,” Zylstra said. “A lot of people don’t know what that means, but we do. We’ve been there and we want to go back, we were so close last year. These girls are so hungry for that.”
The Bearcats play their third game in three days against a 3A school on Friday against River Ridge.
