Things didn’t go quite how the South Puget Sound League Champion Todd Beamer Titans planned at the West Central District 4A playoffs, but the end result was satisfactory as they earned the sixth and final seed from the district to the state playoffs. It will be their third consecutive year in the tournament.
“We’ve been to state two years in a row and these girls were not gonna give it up,” Beamer head coach Brian Hering said. “They came out with the idea that they were going to get wins and they were going back to state. When they play with that attitude and poise, we can do a lot of things.”
The Titans began the tournament on Friday morning against Bellarmine Prep. They cruised to an 8-0 win over the Lions on stellar pitching by South Puget Sound League North pitching MVP Maddie Rogers and some hot bats.
“Maddie Rogers is awesome,” Brian Hering said. “She’s pitched really well.”
Senior Analee Scott had three RBIs in the game on two hits. Senior Maddy Colson and junior Morgan Vance would also add an RBI apiece in the game. The other three runs would come on errors.
The Titans ran into trouble against a tough Yelm team during the second game of the day.
After Rogers managed to bring home Scott for a run in the first inning, Beamer’s bats were cooled off by Yelm’s Jessilyn Enlow’s pitching. Beamer only managed three hits in the game.
Enlow only struck out two Beamer batters in the game. Her ability to keep the Titans from making solid contact on the ball made her dominant in the game. When contact was made with a pitch, it rarely left the infield.
The Lady Tornados manufactured runs through small ball in the third, fourth and fifth innings, giving them the 3-1 victory and a guaranteed berth in the state playoffs. Beamer would have to win twice in the consolation bracket to earn a spot to the state playoffs with the loss.
Saturday saw the Beamer team look more like the one they played against Bellarmine Prep. They opened the day against a familiar foe, the Kentwood Conquerors.
Beamer started the game quickly as they brought home one run in the bottom of the first inning on an error by Kentwood to take a 1-0 lead.
The offense began to heat up once again in the second inning, which saw Beamer increase their lead to 5-0. Junior Sophie Afework brought home the second run of the game on a sacrifice bunt. Another run on an error soon followed. Scott finish the scoring in the inning with a two-RBI double.
The top of the third saw Beamer’s defense on display as Rogers was able to get Kentwood to ground into a double play with runners on first and third to end the inning.
Afework and junior Makenzie Palmer added RBIs in the bottom half of the inning to bring the lead to 7-0.
Beamer went up 10-0 in the third on a two-RBI triple by sophomore Raelynn Grabell and an RBI double by Vance. Kentwood was unable to score and the 10-run rule ended the game after the top of the fifth.
Rogers struck out five and gave up five hits in the five innings she pitched.
Beamer’s final game was against the defending state-champion Puyallup Vikings. Only the winner advanced to the state playoffs.
Rogers gave the Titans a two-run cushion to start with on a two-RBI double in the first inning. Scott added two more on a two-RBI triple in the second to give Beamer a 4-0 lead.
Junior Jourdin Hering brought the lead to 5-0 in the top of the sixth with an RBI of her own.
Puyallup was not ready to quit just yet, however. The Vikings drove in three runs in the bottom of the sixth. All three runs came with two outs already recorded in the inning.
The runs were not enough as Vance and Afework added insurance runs for Beamer in the top of the seventh to give them a 7-3 lead. Puyallup left two runners on base and were unable to score.
“We had a little let down [on Friday], but we’re playing really well,” Brian Hering said. “Pitching is keeping us in games and we’re hitting the ball hard. This team is battling and we’re doing things right.”
Scott was likely the team’s MVP over the four games as she was 8-14 with seven RBIs and two runs. She also had four doubles and a triple in the games.
“Analee Scott had the games of her life,” Brian Hering said. “It’s been phenomenal.”
Todd Beamer will open the state playoffs against Woodinville (21-1), whom they lost 4-2 to in their season opener. Woodinville was also the team who ended the Titans hopes at a state title last year as they lost 8-5 against them in the quarterfinals. The game will be played May 29 at noon at the Merkel Sports Complex in Spokane.
Federal Way ousted from playoffs
The Federal Way Eagles were the other participant from the city in the West Central District 4A tournament, the furthest they have advanced in over two decades.
Things looked promising for the Eagles as they started the day against Gig Harbor. Junior Jaclyn Gillis’s strong pitching held the Tides off the board for four innings. Sophomore Payten Hurn gave Federal Way a one-run lead in the third inning with a home run.
The game changed completely on Kristin Ellisen’s three-run home run in the fifth inning for Gig Harbor. They built a 7-1 lead over Federal Way in the fifth and sixth innings that held as the final score.
The Eagles still had a chance at advancing to the state playoffs through the consolation bracket. They were hoping to earn a shot at rival Todd Beamer with a win over Kentwood in their second game.
The Eagles played a tough game, but were unable to top the Conquerors as they fell 7-6. The Eagles ended one of their best seasons in years with a league record of 10-8 and an overall record of 11-13. Federal Way only had one senior and will likely be a team to watch out for next season.
Analee Scott had eight hits and seven RBIs over three games for the Titans as they advanced in to the state playoffs. Terrence Hill, the Mirror
Maddie Rogers pitched all four games for the Titans at districts. Rogers only gave up four earned runs and struck out 23 batters over four games. Terrence Hill, The Mirror
Payten Hurn gave Federal Way their lone run against Gig Harbor with a home run in the third inning. Terrence Hill, the Mirror
Gig Harbor players Megan Riggs, left, and Jordan Adams, right, wear festive hats in the dugout during their game against Federal Way. Terrence Hill, the Mirror
