With two wins on Friday – including an upset of the state’s second-ranked team – the Aberdeen Bobcats are one win away from the championship game of the 2A State Softball Tournament at Carlon Park in Selah.
2A State Tournament
Quarterfinals
Aberdeen 10, Sedro-Woolley 0
Aberdeen pulled off the biggest upset of the 2A State Softball Tournament with a 10-0 mercy-rule shellacking over No. 2 Sedro-Woolley in a quarterfinal game on Friday.
Riding high off a first-round victory over Orting, No. 10 Aberdeen (16-8 overall) showed no signs of big-game pressure in routing the Cubs (21-4).
The Bobcats bats came alive for two in the first off an error and a bases-loaded walk to Zoe Vessey, two in the third on a two-run home run from third baseman Britten Neal, and two in the fourth off a Laynie Yakovich RBI single followed by a bases-loaded walk to her sister, Alyssa Yakovich, for a 6-0 lead.
That was plenty of run support for Aberdeen sophomore pitcher Lilly Camp, who held a 20-plus win Cubs team to just one hit over five innings while striking out eight in a dominant performance.
The Cats delivered the knockout punch in the bottom of the fifth, recording five hits in the inning to score four runs. Vessey led off the frame with a double and came in to score on a Lecomte double to left field.
After a Maddie Gore ground out, senior Aili Scott singled and was followed by Lecomte scoring on a passed ball. Laynie Yakovich the doubled to score Scott and push the lead to 9-0.
Alyssa Yakovich took care of the rest, singling up the middle to chase home Laynie Yakovich for a walk-off, five-inning victory over the state’s No. 2 team.
Laynie Yakovich went a perfect 4-for-4 with Neal going 2-for-3, including the home run, to lead a Bobcats offense that had 11 hits in the game, four for extra bases.
Aberdeen looks to continue its magical run through the postseason when it faces No. 3 seed and District 4 champion Ridgefield at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
Sedro-Woolley 000 00 – 0 1 2
Aberdeen 202 24 – 10 11 0
WP: Camp (5 IP, 0 R, H, 3 BB, 8 K). LP: Gonzalez (4.1 IP, 10 R, 6 ER, 11 H, 4 BB, 5 K).
Leading hitters: Sedro-Woolley – B. Kononen (1-3). Aberdeen – L. Yakovich (4-4, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI); Neal (2-3, HR, R, 2 RBI); Scott (1-4, R); A. Yakovich (1-2, RBI); Vessey (1-2, 2B, R, RBI); Lecomte (1-3, 2B, R, RBI); Gore (1-3, R).
Opening Round
Aberdeen 3, Orting 1
Aberdeen got its state tournament off to a good start, riding an excellent pitching performance from ace Lilly Camp to a 3-1 win over No. 7 Orting on Friday.
The 10th-seeded Bobcats trailed 1-0 after the No. 7 Cardinals (20-3) scored an unearned run on an error by Bobcats third baseman Britten Neal.
But Aberdeen responded in the top half of the fifth when Scotlyn Lecomte doubled with one out and was followed by senior Maddie Gore, who smacked pitcher Kendal Gresko’s 1-0 pitch over the center-field fence for a two-run home run.
Aberdeen would tack on a run in the sixth when Zoe Vessey tripled and crossed the plate on a Lecomte single.
That was more than enough run support for Camp, who brought her A-game with a three hit, 12 strikeout performance with just one walk over seven innings pitched.
Lecomte was a perfect 3-for-3 with senior infielder Aili Scott going 2-for-4 with a double for the Bobcats.
Aberdeen 000 021 0 – 3 8 2
Orting 000 100 0 – 1 3 2
WP: 7 IP, R, 0 ER, 3 H, BB, 12 K). LP: Gresko (7 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 8 H, 5 K).
Leading hitters: Aberdeen – Lecomte (3-3, 2B, R, RBI); Scott (2-4, 2B); Gore (1-3, HR, R, 2 RBI); Vessey (1-3, 3B, R); L. Yakovich (1-4). Orting – Jacobsen (1-3, 2B, R); Gresk0 (1-3); Benjamin (1-3).
Other scores
Championship
No. 1 North Kitsap 8, No. 3 Ridgefield 1
Semifinals
No. 1 North Kitsap 10, No. 13 Enumclaw 0
Quarterfinals
No. 3 Ridgefield 21, No. 11 Cedarcrest 3
No. 13 Enumclaw 8, No. 12 Olympic 6
No. 1 North Kitsap 13, No. 8 Lynden 1
Opening Round
No. 11 Cedarcrest 15, No. 6 Port Angeles 12
No. 3 Ridgefield 11, No. 14 East Valley (Yakima) 3
No. 2 Sedro-Woolley 4, No. 15 Fife 3
No. 12 Olympic 11, No. 5 Othello 3
No. 13 Enumclaw 4, No. 4 Selah 0
No. 8 Lynden 5, No. 9 Centralia 4
No. 1 North Kitsap 4, No. 16 R.A. Long 0
Elimination Round
No. 6 Port Angeles 10, No. 14 East Valley (Yakima) 0
No. 7 Orting 19, No. 15 Fife 2
No. 5 Othello 8, No. 4 Selah 7
No. 16 R.A. Long 5, No. 9 Centralia 3
No. 6 Port Angeles 7, No. 8 Lynden 6
No. 12 Olympic 13, No. 7 Orting 12
No. 5 Othello 11, No. 2 Sedro-Woolley 10
No. 11 Cedarcrest 2, No. 16 R.A. Long 0
No. 6 Port Angeles 15, No. 12 Olympic 6
No. 5 Othello 9, No. 11 Cedarcrest 7
No. 5 Othello 5, No. 13 Enumclaw 2