The W.F. West Bearcats avenged their postseason loss to Woodland on Thursday, rallying with five runs in the fifth to build a lead they wouldn’t relinquish in a 7-5 win.
“That was basically the game right there,” W.F. West coach Kevin Zylstra said. “I was very happy with the outcome. Woodland is an excellent team, and it was nice to get a little revenge.”
The Bearcats got on the board first with a pair of runs in the bottom of the opening frame, but Woodland responded with runs in the second and third to tie the game at two.
The Beavers took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the fifth, but Gracie Elam kickstarted a rally in the bottom half with a two-run home run to left, her second home run of the season.
Allison Smitherman tied the game with an RBI single later in the inning, and Aubree Llyod gave the Bearcats a lead with a two-run single in the next at-bat.
“We were running out of at-bats, but our girls came right back and got some clutch hits,” Zylstra said. “They came through big time for us.”
After Woodland’s Lexi Manalili’s two-run homer put Woodland up five, Taylor Tobin retired the next four batters she faced to cap her eight-strikeout, six-inning outing.
“Taylor did a great job battling,” Zylstra said. “She did what you want your all-league pitcher to do. “
Tanner Tobin struck out two while allowing just one hit in the final inning.
Elam and Lloyd finished with two runs batted in each, and Smitherman and Kenley Fragner also notched an RBI apiece.
W.F. West (3-0) has now won three games in a row to open the season, and the Bearcats will look to make it four at home on Friday against North Thurston.
