Elma is on its way back to the state tournament after defeating Hoquiam in a 1A District 4 Softball Tournament game on Saturday at Forst Borst Park in Centralia.
1A District 4 Tournament
Elimination game
Elma 8, Hoquiam 5
The Elma Eagles’ five-year absense in the 1A State Tournament is no more.
Elma made the most of its opportunity in the 1A District 4 Tournament’s winner-to-state elimination game on Saturday in Centralia, defeating Hoquiam 8-5 to punch their ticket to state.
“I’ve never been to state for softball and every year we’ve gone to this game and we’ve lost, but it was it was our mission this year not to be on the losing side,” said Elma shortstop Emmie Spencer, one of three seniors on a young Eagles squad. “It means a lot for not just me, but the community and how much they support us and the team. We just worked all year and people, they just underestimated us, but we sure proved them wrong.”
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Elma freshman pitcher Ashlynn Weld pitched a complete game in an 8-5 win over Hoquiam in the 1A District 4 Tournament on Saturday at Fort Borst Park in Centralia.
Hoquiam (10-15 overall) took an early 1-0 lead with an RBI double by freshman Mya Standstipher in the bottom of the first inning.
Elma (16-6) responded with three runs in the second, highlighted by a run-scoring double off the bat of freshman Lynsee Bednarik and an RBI single by freshman catcher Raelynn Weld.
Weld singled to drive in Bednarik followed by an RBI double from first baseman Callie Galligan as the Eagles took a 5-1 lead.
The Grizzlies trimmed the deficit to 5-3 when junior infielder Avery Templer singled to drive in Nadine Stewart. An error on the play allowed Hoquiam first baseman Avery Howard to also come in and score.
But Elma’s offense got hot the following inning as the first five Eagles singled to go up 7-3 with Spencer driving in Bednarik with a sacrifice fly with one out to put Elma up 8-3.
An Eagles error on a ground ball by Howard in the bottom of the fifth allowed Standstipher and senior catcher Faith Prosch to score, making it an 8-5 game.
But Eagles freshman starting pitcher Ashlynn Weld got Hoquiam senior Kayte Sauer to ground into a fielder’s choice ground-ball out and worked around two subsequent walks to get outfielder Choley Dietrick on a fly out to right, ending the threat.
Weld had to work around a leadoff double from shortstop Lexi LaBounty and an intentional walk to the heavy-hitting Prosch in the sixth, but got the next three batters out to leave them stranded.
Sauer gave Hoquiam hope with a leadoff single in the seventh, but once again Ashlynn Weld was up to the task, retiring the next three batters, including Deitrick on a comebacker to end the game and send Elma into the state tournament for the first time since 2019.
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Hoquiam shortstop Lexi LaBounty smacks a ball into the outfield during a game against Elma in the 1A District 4 Tournament on Saturday at Fort Borst Park in Centralia.
“I am just so beyond proud of my team, we have put so much work and so much effort to get this far. This is exactly what we’ve been working for all season and we achieved our goal,” said Elma senior outfielder Aaleigha Weld, older sister of twins Ashlynn and Raelynn. “This season is especially special to me because this is the first season without my nana and everything that I have put into this team has been for her and I know she would be so proud of each and every one of us. I also couldn’t be more grateful that I get to go to state my senior year with my little sisters. I’m so proud of what they have put into this team and how hard they have worked and pushed themselves.”
“(Going to state) means our team finally came together and that we’re working more as a family now and together in unity,” said Galligan, also a senior. “It’s like once in a lifetime. I was so excited. I was shaking. I wasn’t ready to give up on this team. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye and I wanted one last ride and they gave that to me.”
Eagles head coach Ashley Stancil said after a tough loss in the semis to Seton Catholic earlier in the week she received some sage wisdom from her father, Todd Stancil.
“He told me to make sure the girls just have fun and play loose,” the head coach said. “When we play loose and we have fun we do great things and we just put too much pressure on ourselves. I initially was like, ‘Are we’re going to run or we’ve got do something. What can we do?’ And he was the one who said to just take a step back and remind them to have fun.”
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD The Elma Eagles earned their first trip to the state tournament since 2019 with an 8-5 win over Hoquiam on Saturday in Centralia.
The tweak of mindset worked as Elma had 16 hits in the game from eight different players and didn’t allow any setbacks to snowball into big innings, as it did in the Seton Catholic loss.
“I think losing that game on Wednesday, served a really good purpose. As to we know what we need to work on and we got to play in a big moment and now we get to go to state and play in bigger moments and get to show them who Elma is again,” Stancil said. “We are at heart a hitting, defensively-sound team when we play our best and I would be scared to play us.”
Stancil added she isn’t the only one to credit for Elma’s return to state, but that her coaching staff, notably Jack Monroe and Michael Weld, played a big part in the turnaround.
“They made sure these girls have been playing since they were little and now they get to watch them and see that reward,” Stancil said. “It started with those two and the time that they put into this program. I am just the lucky one that gets to coach alongside of them and gets to watch how hard these girls work. They have played a lot of softball and it’s thanks to those two.”
For Hoquiam, the loss ends a tulmultuous season that included their new head coach stepping down halfway through the season to be replaced by interim assistant coach Matti Ekerson, who by all accounts did a solid job turning the Grizzlies season around to get into districts and finish just one win shy of state.
“They’re a great group of girls. I was blessed with them,” Ekerson said. “Being able to coach for them has been awesome. They’re an awesome group of girls. They worked so hard and they’re so fun to be around. I couldn’t ask for a better year.”
Elma will enter the state tournament as the No. 5 seed and will face No. 12 Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) in a first-round game at 3 p.m. on Thursday at the Columbia Playfields in Richland.
Elma 030 230 0 – 8 16 4
Hoquiam 100 220 0 – 5 9 0
WP: Ash. Weld (7 IP, 5R, 3ER, 9H, 5BB, 6K). LP: Sauer (7 IP, 8R, 8ER, 16H, 2BB, 2K).
Leading hitters: Elma – R. Weld (4-5, R, 3RBI); Bednarik (4-4, 2B, 3R, 2RBI); Comer (2-3); Galligan (1-4, 2B, RBI); Simmons (1-4, R); Aal. Weld (1-3, R, RBI); Monroe (1-5, 2B). Hoquiam – LaBounty (2-4, 2B); Standstipher (2-4, 2B, R, RBI); Sauer (2-4); Templer (1-3, RBI); Howard (1-3, R, 2RBI).
PHOTO BY CHRYSTAL WELD Elma’s Lynsee Bednarik (left) congratulates teammate Emmie Spencer after Spencer hit a home run in a 24-10 victory over La Center in a 1A District 4 Tournament game on Saturday at Fort Borst Park in Centralia.
Elimination games
Elma 24, La Center 10
Elma staved off elimination with a 24-10 thrashing of La Center in a 1A District 4 Tournament elimination game Saturday morning.
The Eagles were tied 7-7 before blowing the game open with 11 runs in the top of the third inning, highlighted by a grand-slam home run off the bat of senior outfielder Aaleigha Weld.
Weld wasn’t the only Eagle to hit a homer in the game as shortstop Emmie Spencer belted a two-run shot in Elma’s five-run second inning and pitcher Jasmyne Kish hitting a two-run round-tripper in the third.
Six of Elma’s 15 hits went for extra bases, with Aaleigha Weld leading the way, going 4-for-4 with a grand slam, four runs scored and an eye-catching six RBI.
PHOTO BY CHRYSTAL WELD Elma outfielder Aaleigha Weld heads home after hitting a grand-slam home run in a 24-10 win over La Center in a 1A District 4 Tournament game on Saturday in Centralia.
Spencer had three hits, scored four runs and drove in three while freshman Lynsee Bednarik drove in four runs for Elma.
Kish earned the win, allowing seven runs – four earned – on three hits and two walks in two innings of work.
Keira White threw three innings of relief for Elma, allowing three runs – two earned – on three hits with five strikeouts and no walks.
Elma 25(11) 51 – 24 15 5
La Center 340 12 – 10 6 1
WP: Kish (2 IP, 7R, 4ER, 3H, 2BB). LP: Piper (5 IP, 24R, 23ER, 15H, 9BB, 4K).
Leading hitters: Elma – Aal. Weld (4-4, HR, 4R, 6RBI); Spencer (3-4, HR, 2B, 4R, 3RBI); Bednarik (2-2, 2B, 2R, 4RBI); R. Weld (1-3, 2B, 3R); Monroe (1-2, 3R, RBI); Galligan (1-2, 4RBI); Simmons (1-2, R, RBI); Ash. Weld (1-3, 3R); Kish (1-3, HR, R, 2RBI). La Center – Piper (2-3, 2R, 2RBI); Baker (1-3, HR, 2R, 4RBI); Brown (1-3, 2B, 2R, 2RBI); Winston (1-2, HR, 2R, RBI); Smith (1-3, R).
Hoquiam 16, Eatonville 6
Hoquiam avoided elimination with a 16-6 five-inning win over Eatonville in a 1A District 4 Tournament elimination game on Saturday in Centralia.
The Grizzlies jumped on the Cruisers for five runs in the first, highlighted by standout senior catcher Faith Prosch’s three-run home run.
Prosch and freshman Mya Standstipher drove in a run apiece with RBI singles in the second and three Eatonville errors followed by an RBI sac-bunt by senior outfielder Chloey Deitrick put the Grizzlies up 11-0 after three innings.
Hoquiam earned the mercy-rule victory when junior shortsop Lexi LaBounty singled and later scored on a wild pitch and third baseman Macy Dhooghe singled to drive in Prosch with the game-ending run.
Grizzlies senior Kayte Sauer earned the win, allowing no runs on one hit and two walks with three strikeouts in 3 2-3 innings pitched.
Hayden Brook-Andrew allowed six earned runs on four hits and two walks in 1 1-3 innings of relief for the Grizzlies.
Prosh had three hits and drove in four runs while Avery Templer went 2-for-3 with three runs and a team-high five RBI for Hoquiam.
Eatonville 000 42 – 6 5 5
Hoquiam 524 32 – 16 13 0
WP: Sauer (3.2 IP, 0R, H, 2BB, 3K). LP: Smith (4.1 IP, 16R, 9ER, 13H, 3BB).
Leading hitters: Eatonville – Twedt (2-2, 2 HR, 2R, 4RBI); Kenney (1-3, R); Field (1-2, R); Burns (1-3, RBI). Hoquiam – Prosch (3-4, HR, 2B, 3R, 4RBI); Templer (2-3, 3R, 5RBI); LaBounty (2-4, 2R, RBI); Standstipher (2-2, R, RBI); Dhooghe (2-4, R, RBI); Sauer (1-3, R, 2RBI); Deitrick (1-3, R, RBI).
