A seven-run fourth propelled the Rochester softball team to a season-saving victory on Friday, as the Warriors topped Centralia 8-7 in a tiebreaker game at Fort Borst Park.
With the win the Warriors are through to the district tournament, while Centralia’s season is over.
“This was a one through 15 effort today,” Rochester coach Joni Lancaster said. “They all did something that helped them win this game … They excelled. I couldn’t be prouder.”
Centralia (10-10, 5-7 2A EvCo) took the early lead, as a run scored on a ground ball in the second and Gracie Schofield hit a home run in the second to make it 2-0.
Rochester (10-12, 5-7 2A EvCo) put up a crooked number in the fourth, though, as the first nine Warriors that came to the plate reached back, and seven of them scored.
“We were just in a little bit of a slump,” Lancaster said. “We were kind of getting outside of ourselves a little bit … We put everything together, and it worked out for us today.”
The Tigers responded with one in the fourth, and Makayla Chavez hit a two-run home run in the fifth to make it a 7-5 game.
Layna Demers pushed the lead back to three with an RBI single in the sixth, and that insurance run ended up playing a major role.
Schofield led off the bottom of the seventh with her second home run of the day, and Makenzie Erickson made it a one-run game with an RBI single later in the inning.
With the tying run on third and the potential winning run on first, Chloe Bonomi hit the ball on the screws, but it went right to Mckenna Vassar at short, who made the catch to end the game.
Demers went 3 for 4 at the plate with two runs batted in, and she pitched all seven innings in the circle. Lancaster said that even though Demers was a little sore coming in from pitching the previous two days, she knew that Demers would do whatever was needed to come away with a win.
“There was never a doubt in my mind,” Lancaster said.
Rochester will head to Hockinson for the district pigtail game on Tuesday. Centralia ends its season at 10-10.
