Tumwater softball completed a season series win over rival W.F. West with a 2-1 victory at home over the Bearcats in 2A Evergreen Conference action on Monday.
The Thunderbirds take two of three from the Bearcats with the win and are now in the driver’s seat to capture the EvCo crown with their lone league loss coming to W.F. West.
Monday’s matchup turned into a pitching duel, with both teams playing to a scoreless battle through 3 ½ innings. It wasn’t until Megan Paull hit a two-run single to right field to score Jaime Hass and Jaylene Manriquez to give the T-Birds all the runs they would need to secure the win.
W.F. West’s lone run came on freshman shortstop Avalon Myers’ solo home run to lead off the top of the seventh and pull the Bearcats within one. Breanna Crosby and Rachel Gray’s back-to-back singles with two outs helped give W.F. West life, but a strikeout to end the game gave Tumwater the win.
Ella Ferguson earned the win in the circle for Tumwater, pitching a complete game with eight strikeouts while allowing one earned run on seven hits and one walk.
W.F. West’s Kamy Dacus went six innings, striking out five while allowing two earned runs on five hits and one walk.
The Bearcats’ offense was led by Myers' home run, and she finished 1 for 3 at the plate. Lena Fragner was 2 for 4.
Tumwater’s Paull finished with two RBIs on 1 for 2 hitting, while Haase was 2 for 3 with a run and Manriquez scored the other run.
Tumwater (10-1) next hosts Black Hills at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. W.F. West (12-4) heads to Centralia for a 4:30 p.m. rivalry match on Wednesday.
