YAKIMA — Mossyrock’s state tournament run came to an end one game shy of the third-place match, as the Vikings lost to Inchelium in a consolation semifinal 12-8 on Saturday in Yakima.
“We had our chances,” Mossyrock coach Keith Coleman said. “We hit the ball hard, but we got the ball in the air too much. They made the plays.”
Inchelium, the No. 2 seed in the 1B bracket, scored four in the first to take the lead, and the Vikings (11-8) trailed 7-2 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
Mossyrock made a dent in its deficit, as Brooke Schwartz hit a two-run double and scored on a wild pitch later in the inning.
In the fifth, Chesney Schultz scored to make it a one-run game, but Inchelium responded with another four-spot in the sixth to pull away.
“They hit the crap out of it too,” Coleman said. “It just didn’t pan out, and that happens … I’m proud of the girls. That’s just softball.”
Adyson Barrows and Erin Cournyer collected two hits each and both drove in a run, and Schwartz finished with her pair of runs batted in.
Coleman noted that walks and errors played a part in the Hornet rallies, something they’ll have to clean up when they make the leap back to 2B next spring.
Mossyrock will return nearly everyone, as only Abbie Lovan and Julia Huguenin are set to graduate.
“These younger girls will step right in,” Coleman said. “We’ve been doing that.”
