Thirty to zero.
That was the run differential when Raymond-South Bend was swept by Pe Ell-Willapa Valley in a key Pacific League doubleheader less than two weeks ago.
Despite coming off a huge upset win over top-seeded Adna in the semifinals, not many outside RSB circles gave much creedence to the notion that the Ravens would knock off another district-juggernaut and hoist the program’s first ever district trophy in the 2B District 4 title game on Thursday.
But the Raymond-South Bend Ravens proved they are no fluke.
Despite trailing by six runs and having to wait overnight to resume play after the game was postponed due to darkness, the Ravens overcame all odds to defeat the Titans 16-12 at Fort Borst in Centralia, completing one of the more impressive and surprising championship runs in the tournament’s history.
In what turned out to be a two-day journey in the distirct final, it was the Titans (18-5 overall) that held a firm grasp on the lead early on.
Trailing 2-0 after the Ravens (17-4) scored on an Emma Glazier two-run home run in the top of the first, PWV’s prodigous offense got to work.
A Ravens error followed by a walk brought Tylar Keeton to the plate. The Titans star freshman shortstop took RSB pitcher Summer Stigall’s 0-1 pitch over the center-field fence for a three-run home run.
Titans catcher Sophia Milanowski followed with her team-leading ninth home run of the season, a shot over the right-field fence for a 4-2 lead, chasing Stigall from the circle.
NICOLE SHANNON | MAIN FOCUS MEDIA Pe Ell-Willapa Valley’s Sophia Milanowski is greeted by her teammates after hitting a home run in the 2B District 4 championship game on Thursday in Centralia.
In the bottom of the second, RSB eigth-grade pitcher Maddy San ran into trouble when standout Titans junior outfielder Lauren Matlock scored on a passed ball followed later by a two-run error to put PWV up 7-2.
The Titans weren’t done as junior third baseman Rilyn Channell singled to drive in outfielder Karli Phelps for an 8-2 lead.
But as soon as the contest began to resemble their previous matchups, the Ravens got back in the game.
RSB cut the lead to 8-4 on a two-run double by catcher Ava Pine followed later by a bases-loaded walk to first baseman Tressa McMullen.
A Titans error allowed Macey Enlow to score to cut PWV’s lead to 8-6.
Two batters later, another Titans error allowed McMullen and senior third baseman Berklee Morley to score, tying the game at 8-8.
PWV regained the lead with a bases-loaded walk to Milanowski followed by a two-run single from Phelps to make it an 11-8 game after three innings.
But San settled in to hold the Titans scoreless over the next three innings, including a key inning-ending double play when second baseman Liz Lewis ranged over in foul territory behind first base to catch a C.J. Sipp pop fly, then wheeled a throw to Pine to cut down Jillian Hodel at the plate to end the fifth.
Meanwhile, RSB’s offense continued to apply pressure and score runs.
The Ravens got a run on an Enlow single and a Morley RBI ground out in the fourth to pull within a run at 12-11.
In the fifth, Glazier hammered Eliza Barnum’s 1-1 pitch over the left-field fence for a two-run home run – her second of the game – to give RSB a 12-11 lead.
NICOLE SHANNON | MAIN FOCUS MEDIA Raymond-South Bend centerfielder Emma Glazier belts one of her two home runs in the 2B District 4 title game against Pe Ell-Willapa Valley on Thursday in Centralia.
The Ravens added four more in the sixth on two singles and five walks, taking a 16-11 lead when Glazier scored on a passed ball.
But with one inning remaining to play, the umpires suspended the game due to darkness, and it was decided the game would resume at 4 p.m. the following day.
“I had to talk though every single scenario with them yesterday. … They felt a little better about it,” RSB head coach Dakota Brooks said of her instructions to her team on the delay. “I said, ‘Tomorrow, we just got to come and do it again. … We proved we can beat them on that day, we can beat them on this day. It doesn’t matter.’”
But no words were going to soothe any anxiousness felt by RSB player so close to winning the program’s first softball district championship.
“I came home and I was like, ‘Mom, we have one inning tomorrow. What should I do?’ She’s like, ‘Just keep that energy you had today, get your team hyped tomorrow and just do what you did today,’ and we came in and did that,” Glazier said of the overnight wait. “It was definitely very stressful, but I knew deep down we had it in the bag.”
“It was super stressful,” Morley said. “But we all talked about it and we were like, ‘They are down by five, we just need to get three outs and we’re done and we have the title.’”
By contrast, the player who arguably should have the hardest time catching some Z’s had no problem with the delay whatsoever.
“I was excited, but I did get a lot of sleep,” said a giggling San. “I love sleeping.”
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Raymond-South Bend eighth-grader Maddy San earned the win in a 16-12 victory over Pe Ell-Willapa Valley in the 2B District 4 championship game on Thursday and Friday in Centralia.
When play resumed, Hodel struck out the side in the top of the seventh, giving the Titans a glimmer of hope heading to the bottom half with the meat of the order coming up.
But San was up to the task, striking out Keeton and Milanowski looking to get the first two outs.
PWV wouldn’t go quietly as Phelps followed with a solo home run to make it a 16-12 game.
San got right back to the circle and showed a poise that defied her middle-school age, earning a seven-pitch strikeout over PWV’s C.J. Sipp, dotting the outside corner with a breaking pitch for a called third strike.
The Raymond-South Bend players, coaches and fans erupted with joy.
“This is it,” Glazier said of the win. “This is what we’ve been waiting for. This is what we worked all season to do and I’m just so incredibly proud of our team.”
Glazier (.484, 46 R, 12 HR, 39 RBI) had a huge game with two home runs, four runs scored and five RBI.
“I knew that Valley was one of the top competitors and what I told myself and the team was that we need to get on base and score as many runs as we can and keep knocking them down until we succeed,” said the fleet-foot Glazier, who is garnering much attention from DI programs. “And we did that today. I’m really proud of my team and I’m just glad to be here in the moment.”
“This means everything,” said Morley, one of just two seniors on the squad and a team leader. “I love my team. I love my girls and it’s the highlight of my senior season. … They all worked so hard. Maddy stepped up so much and I’m so proud of her. Liz (Lewis) is only a freshman and she stepped up so much. It means so much to me because they all wanted it. We all wanted it.”
NICOLE SHANNON | MAIN FOCUS MEDIA Raymond-South Bend third baseman Berklee Morley (left) applies a tag to Pe Ell-Willapa Valley’s Tylar Keeton during the 2B District 4 title game on Thursday in Centralia.
“It’s everything. I don’t even have any words,” Brooks said. “I’m proud, I’m excited. First (softball) championship for all of Raymond-South Bend, so it’s a pretty good feeling.”
Pine had three hits with shortstop Kassie Koski and Enlow recording two hits apiece for an RSB offense that drew 12 walks in the matchup.
The Ravens’ 2-5 batters had nine of RSB’s 10 hits in the game.
PWV’s offense was led by Matlock and Phelps with two hits apiece.
The Titans offense drew 10 walks in the game and scored seven unearned runs on five Ravens errors.
The two teams combined for nine extra-base hits, including five home runs.
One game after earning a five-inning shutout over Adna, San allowed eight runs – two earned – on six hits and nine walks with 12 strikeouts in seven innings pitched.
“Stay positive and happy thoughts,” San said of her mindset in the pressure-packed game. “If I get down, my team will get down and it just reflects on to them. I just got to pitch and got to do it. … I did have nerves, but I knew that if I just pitched like I normally do, we would be fine.”
Barnum suffered the loss, allowing 16 runs – 11 earned – on 10 hits and 12 walks with eight strikeouts in six innings of work.
With the Ravens being an afterthought regarding a district championship entering the tournament, RSB’s stunning performance left many wondering just how the Ravens pulled it off.
“They’ve never seen us at our best,” Brooks said. “Everytime we play (Adna and PWV), we always beat oursevles. So in this tournament, it was like, ‘Well, what else are we waiting for? Let’s just do it and have fun,’ and that’s exactly what they did. They finally got it together.”
“We stayed together and our energy was up 24-7,” Morley said. “We talked about being the underdogs and that we need to win, and we did.”
“We kind of just told ourselves, ‘This is the game of softball. We’re going to give (Adna and PWV) the credit they deserve, but we’re a great team also and we can come out here and compete and be just as good as them.”
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD The Raymond-South Bend Ravens pose for a team photo after winning the 2B District 4 championship on Friday at Fort Borst Park in Centralia.
Both Pacific County teams earned top-five seeds in the 2B State Tournament.
No. 2 PWV will face No. 15 Colfax in a first-round game at 10 a.m. on Friday in Yakima.
RSB earned a No. 4 seed and will face No. 13 Tonsaket at noon on Friday in Yakima.
Raymond-South Bend 206 224 0 – 16 10 5
Pe Ell-Willapa Valley 443 000 1 – 12 8 4
WP: San (7 IP, 8R, 2ER, 6H, 9BB, 12K). LP: Barnum (6 IP, 16R, 11ER, 10H, 12BB, 8K).
Leading hitters: RSB – Pine (3-4, 2B, 2RBI); Glazier (2-5, 2 HR, 4R, 5RBI); Koski (2-5, 2B, 2R, 2RBI, 2SB); Enlow (2-3, 2B, R, RBI); San (1-4, R, RBI, SB). PWV – Phelps (2-4, HR, 2R, 3RBI); Matlock (2-5, 2B, 3R, SB); Keeton (1-3, HR, 2R, 3RBI, SB); Milanowski (1-2, HR, R, 2RBI); Hodel (1-3, 2R); Channell (1-3, RBI).
