The younger Stilly Valley fastpitch all-star team comprised of 11-year olds made its first appearance at the state tournament this past week. The team played four games in the double-elimination tournament and finished third overall.
Stilly got off to a rough start, losing a heartbreaker 7-6 to Steel Lake to start their week. We kept coming from behind to tie the game, said coach Butch Diemer. But in the fifth inning they took the lead for good.
The team rebounded in its second outing, defeating host team Battle Ground 8-6 behind a two-RBI double from Macall McGhee. Another highlight from the game occurred when Maddie Holmes laid down a bunt and beat it to first for a single. The Battle Ground throw to first went wild on the play and Holmes raced around the basepaths toward third base. A second wild throw from the home team allowed Holmes to complete the rare bunt-home run.
She was running her heart out, said coach Diemer.
In the third game of the event, Stilly drubbed North King County by a 16-1 margin.
We poured the coals to em, said Diemer. Kayla Mashburn pitching did an excellent job.
Savannah Diemer drove a ball deep to right-centerfield in the game for a two-RBI double in the fourth inning. The defense was strong as well, holding North King County to a solitary run.
Katelynn Kazen and Bailey Hoag made some excellent catches in the outfield for us. Katelynn has great speed and can really run down any ball, continued coach Diemer. Bailey plays fearlessly, shes not afraid to chase down anything.
In their fourth game, Stilly ran into Steel Lake again, due to the double-elimination process. Steel Lake jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, from which Stilly could never recover. A six inning rally produced one run for the local team, but they could not get a key run scoring hit after loading the bases.
I would say between the community support and the girls on the team it was a very positive experience, said Diemer. The parents worked well with the organization. We should all walk away very proud. I cant say enough about the parents, they did a fantastic job.