W.F. West’s softball season came to an end on Saturday morning, as the Bearcats fell to Aberdeen 11-1 in a consolation game at the 2A State Tournament in Selah.
The loss left the Bearcats two wins shy of a top-four finish.
Aberdeen took control instantly, scoring five in the first inning and adding another in the second.
“They knew exactly what we were trying to do pitching,” W.F. West coach Kevin Zylstra said. “They got some really imposing hitters, and there’s only so many tricks in the bag … Time caught up with us.”
The Bearcats didn’t respond until the fourth, when Avalon Myers hit a solo home run to bring home their only run of the game.
Amayah Middleton and Addison Froschauer recorded the other two base hits for W.F. West.
Staysha Fluetsch had the most success in the circle of the three Bearcat pitchers, as she allowed just one hit and struck out two in two scoreless innings of relief.
Zylstra said he was proud of the girls for their play and growth on the field, but he also said that it’s everything off the diamond that he’ll miss about this group, especially his five seniors — Lena Fragner, Tyran Ozretich, Fluetsch, Alesandra Arceo, and Ella Young.
“Coaching fastpitch, there’s the games, and then there’s everything else,” Zylstra said. “You've been around these girls so much for four months, and that’s the part I’m gonna miss the most. They’re such wonderful young women, and I'm gonna miss being around them and all the fun that we have.”
“Sure, I’m gonna miss the home runs and stuff like that, but that’s not what coaching is all about. It’s the relationships that you build.”
Zylstra’s Bearcats finish the season with 21 wins, a district championship, and a state tournament appearance after missing it in 2023.
“It’s all attributed to the effort and the work these girls put in day in and day out at practice,” Zylstra said. “It was just so wonderful to see them grow.”
