Napavine and Adna both took care of business early Thursday in Centralia, clinching their state tournament berths with victories in the consolation semifinals.
Napavine (15-5) won a thriller over Toledo, walking off the Riverhawks with a 14-13 win, while Adna beat Rainier 13-2 in five.
The Tigers and Riverhawks traded home runs — there were seven in total in the game — and the lead, and Napavine trailed by two entering the bottom of the seventh.
Taylen Evander brought home the first run of the inning with an RBI double, and Grace Pancake brought her home later in the inning to tie the game.
Dakota Lyons got around to third after reaching on a single, and she sprinted home on a Hannah Fay grounder and slid in safely to win the game.
Napavine will now head to its first state tournament since 2018, when they finished second.
“I feel like I’m 70,” Napavine coach Josh Fay said after the game while laughing. “Every time somebody moved the needle, the other team moved the needle back … I’m super proud of them. I’m excited. Our kids are excited. This is a good feeling.”
Evander finished 4 for 5 at the plate with a home run, a double, and three runs batted in to lead the offensive effort.
“She just came to the yard with a really good approach today,” Josh Fay said. “I love having her up in those situations, because she is a true competitor. You always know what you’re getting out of Taylen. She is gonna play as hard as she can.”
Lyla Kirkpatrick and Hayden Kaut also homered and combined for four RBIs, while Hannah Fay and Pancake drove in two runs apiece.
Josh Fay has been the coach since 2019, but this will be his first time heading to Yakima leading the Tigers.
“For six years, I’ve been telling these kids that our goal is to find a way to Yakima,” Josh Fay said. “It’s hard. This is, without question, the best softball district tournament in the state … We found a way this year. We’re excited for an opportunity to get over there.”
The Adna Pirates (16-6) will be joining them in what will be their 17th straight appearance in the state tournament.
The offense had a much-needed bounce back game after their shutout loss to Raymond-South Bend in the semifinals.
Hadleigh Gerard and Kendall Humphrey both hit home runs and combined to drive in six runs, and Danika Hallom finished with three hits and a pair of RBIs.
“It was good to get back to swinging and hitting the ball hard,” Adna coach Bruce Pocklington said. “We just didn’t show up yesterday, and we needed to today. That shows a little character to come back, swing the bats, and meet those expectations that we want to meet.”
Avery LaFontaine also had a nice rebound game, tossing all five innings and allowing just three hits and two runs (one earned) while walking three and striking out two.
Adna and Napavine played each other in the third-place game later Thursday afternoon, and with state spots already secured, both teams turned to eighth graders in the circle.
Teagen Baggenstos got the start for Adna, while Dakota Lyons pitched for Napavine. Both went all seven innings, but Adna came away with the 6-2 win.
Both teams will learn their state tournament seeding when the seeding committee meets on Sunday.
“We’re where we want to be,” Pocklington said. “It’s a 16-team tournament, and you’re gonna have to beat someone down the road. I’m happy that we’re going. They know what they need to do.”
