Raymond-South Bend and Pe Ell-Willapa Valley are headed for a district-championship showdown as we review Wednesday’s action from the 2B District 4 Tournament at Fort Borst Park in Centralia.

~~~

2B DISTRICT 4 TOURNAMENT

Raymond-South Bend 10, Adna 0

In its young tenure as a combo program, the Raymond-South Bend Ravens just won the biggest game in their three-year history.

RSB earned a stunning 10-0 mercy-rule victory over two-time defending state champion and district top-seed Adna in a 2B District 4 semifinal game on Wednesday in Centralia, earning a spot in the state tournament and district final in the process.

“The program I think needed this (win) more than anything because Raymond and South Bend don’t have the best track record with softball,” RSB head coach Dakota Fluke said. “Some of the girls looked at me and said, ‘We’ve never been here. This has never happened.’ And I said, ‘I know. It’s amazing.’ … It’s everything for the program.”

KODY CHRISTEN | THE CHRONICLE Raymond-South Bend’s Josie Houk (left) and Tressa McMullen share a high-five during the Ravens’ 10-0 win over Adna in a 2B District 4 semifinal game on Wednesday in Centralia.

The Ravens (16-4 overall) looked nothing like the team that lost 22-1 to the Pirates back on March 27 and, vice versa for Adna (14-5).

RSB put together patient, quality at-bats off Adna starter Avery Lafontaine in the bottom of the first inning, and the reliably steady Pirates cracked.

The Ravens would score seven runs in the frame thanks to three walks, three errors and two singles. RSB took a 1-0 lead when catcher Ava Pine drew a walk with the bases loaded and the Ravens capped the scoring outburst when eight-grade pitcher Maddy San scored on a dropped third strike for a 7-0 lead.

RSB added a run in the fourth when another Adna error on a ground ball by Macey Enlow allowed infielder Kassie Koski to score the Ravens’ eighth run of the game.

With a chance to close out a rare 10-run rule win over the perennial 2B powerhouse, the Ravens didn’t let the opportunity pass them by.

San led off the bottom of the fifth with a triple to the right-field corner and remained at third on a bunt by right fielder Josie Houk, who hustled down the line to beat the throw to first. Noticing that no Pirate was covering second, Houk raced to take the extra base representing the walk-off run.

Second baseman Liz Lewis then singled to left, driving in San with Houk racing home to score the 10th and final run of the game.

As if they were in shock at what they had just accomplished, the Ravens momentarily awaited confirmation that they indeed had just knocked off the reigning state champs and earned a trip to state.

Then, almost spontaneously, a celebration erupted near the Ravens dugout as the realization that their dream had indeed become a reality.

KODY CHRISTEN | THE CHRONICLE The Raymond-South Bend Ravens erupt with joy after beating Adna in the 2B District 4 semifinal game on Wednesday in Centralia.

“When we got on the bus, we we are still saying, ‘Oh my gosh, we just can’t believe it,’” Fluke said. “But I think they needed that. They needed to see that we can beat these good team. It’s kind of a don’t count us out type of thing. Maybe tomorrow it will settle in, but I don’t know about right now, still on clound nine.”

In what might be the best performance for an eighth-grade softball pitcher in state history, San was simply brilliant in the circle for the Ravens.

In a performance that defied her varsity inexperience, the Ravens starter allowed just one hit and a walk while striking out two in a five-inning masterpiece.

“She hasn’t pitched a whole lot of games for us. … But our assistant coach (Jason) Koski said, ‘Let’s just see,’ and she did awesome,” Brooks said of San’s performance in a pressure-packed game. “All season I’ve been on her about how she needs to get there mentally because when your number gets called, you need to make sure you are mentally there, and she’s been so receptive to that. … She’s coachable and said she was feeling good. … She kind of has this calm sense right now. … I don’t think (beating Adna) has hit her yet. I think she’s still in shock.”

San pitched to contact with 37 strikes in 63 pitches and had Pirates batters out of sorts throughout the game.

San induced nine fly-ball outs in the game and was helped out by her defense when Koski turned a key double play at shortstop with one on and no outs in the top half of the fifth.

Adna had the leadoff runner on in four of the game’s five innings, but San and the defense wiggled out of trouble each and every time.

“Our defense was sound, our hitting was sound, mentally we were there. It was a good day for them,” Brooks said of her team, adding the monumental win still hadn’t set in for her or her team. “We all just kept saying we don’t even believe it because it doesn’t feel real. For a lot of these girls, they’ve never been in that position before.”

KODY CHRISTEN | THE CHRONICLE Raymond-South Bend’s Berklee Morley cheers during a 10-0 win over Adna in a 2B District 4 semifinal game on Wednesday in Centralia.

With the win, Raymond-South Bend advances to the state tournament for the second time in the past three years and earns its first trip to the district final, where it will take on another 2B-state power in Pe Ell-Willapa Valley at 6 p.m. on Thursday.

It’s a familiar foe for Fluke, who won a state title with PWV as a player back in 2017.

“I coached a lot of those (PWV) girls growing up and a lot of them are my family, so it’s really hard,” Fluke said. “I love PWV, always, but these Raymond-South Bend girls, those are my girls and hopefully we’ll take (PWV) down tomorrow. … They’ve never seen us on a good day and I’m excited to kind of show them.”

Adna 000 00 – 0 1 5

RSB 700 12 – 10 9 3

WP: San (5 IP, 0R, H, BB, 2K). LP: Lafontaine (4 IP, 10R, 3ER, 9H, 6BB, 4K).

Leading hitters: Adna – Hallom (1-2). RSB – Lewis (2-3, R, 2RBI); Koski (2-2, 2R); Glazier (1-3, R); San (1-3, 3B, 2R, 2RBI); Glazier (1-3, R); Pine (1-1, RBI, 2BB); McMullen (1-3, R, RBI); Houk (1-2, R, RBI); Morley (0-2, R, RBI, BB).

~~~

NICOLE SHANNON | MAIN FOCUS MEDIA Pe Ell-Willapa Valley catcher Sophia Milanowski had a home run in a 2B District 4 semifinal win over Napavine on Wednesday in Centralia.

Pe Ell-Willapa Valley 15, Napavine 5

Pe Ell-Willapa Valley reached the district final for the first time since 2022 with a 15-5 win over Napavine in a district-semifinal game on Wednesday in Centralia.

The Titans (18-4) showed why they have one of the most feared offenses in the class with 21 hits – nine for extra bases – and had eight of nine players on the roster record multi-hit games.

The top half of the PWV defense did a ton of damage as center fielder Lauren Matlock, first baseman Jillian Hodel, shortstop Tylar Keeton and catcher Sophia Milanowski went a combined 11 for 19 (.579) with seven runs scored and 11 RBI.

But the Titans hit up and down the lineup on Wednesday as No. 7 hitter Karli Phelps went 3 for 5 with a home run.

Matlock, Hodel and Keeton also had three hits in the game with Keeton belting two doubles and driving in a team-high four runs.

PWV took a 6-1 lead in the top of the third with five runs in the frame, highlighted by a Hodel RBI double.

The Titans added five more runs in the fifth, capped by a two-run double by Keeton to extend the lead to 12-4.

A two-run blast by Milanowski over the center-field fence in the top of the seventh capped the Titans’ impressive offensive showing.

PWV pitcher Eliza Barnum earned the win, allowing five earned runs on six hits and five walks with nine strikeouts in seven innings pitched.

With the win, the Titans return to the district-title game for the first time since 2022 and are in search of their first district championship since 2019.

PWV 105 150 3 – 15 21 0

Napavine 013 010 0 – 5 6 0

WP: Barnum (7 IP, 5R, 6ER, 6H, 5BB, 9K). LP: Fay (4.1 IP, 12R, 11ER, 12H, 4BB, 4K).

Leading hitters: PWV – Phelps (3-5, HR, 2B, R, RBI); Keeton (3-5, 2 2B, R, 4RBI); Matlock (3-5, 2B, 2R, 3RBI); Hodel (3-4, 2B, 3R, 2RBI); Milanowski (2-5, HR, R, 2RBI); King (2-3, 2B, 2R); Channell (2-4, 2B, RBI); Merkel (1-2, 3R). Napavine – H. Fay (3-4, 2 HR, 2R, 4RBI); Lyons (1-3, 2B, R); Pancake (1-3, R); C. Fay (1-3, RBI).

~~~

Raymond-South Bend 3, Toledo 2

Raymond-South Bend held on to an early lead en route to a 3-2 win over Toledo in a 2B District 4 Tournament quarterfinal game on Wednesday in Centralia.

The Ravens scored three runs in the bottom of the first on two passed balls and a bases-loaded walk to left fielder Macey Enlow.

Toledo (16-4-2) scored a run on an Audrey Cooper single in the top of the third and made it a 3-2 game when Camryn Hurley singled to drive in Cooper, but right fielder Maddy San’s throw home to catcher Ava Pine was in time to cut down Kailea Lairson at the plate, ending the inning and preserving the Ravens’ slim 3-2 lead.

Starting pitcher Summer Stigall made it stick, holding the Riverhawks to a single and a walk over the final four innings, at one point retiring eight straight batters to secure the win.

Kassie Koski went 2 for 3 with a double to lead the Ravens offense.

Toledo 002 000 0 – 2 4 0

RSB 300 000 x – 3 6 0

WP: Stigall (7 IP, 2R, ER, 4H, 3BB, 6K). LP: Holter (6 IP, 3R, ER, 6H, 5BB, 11K).

Leading hitters: Toledo – Cooper (1-3, R, RBI); Hurley (1-2, RBI); Norberg (1-2); Carver (1-3, R). RSB – Koski (2-3, 2B, R); San (1-2); McMullen (1-3); Lewis (1-3, R).

~~~

NICOLE SHANNON | MAIN FOCUS MEDIA Pe Ell-Willapa Valley’s Lauren Matlock steps on home plate after hitting a home run during a win over Rainier in a 2B District 4 Tournament game on Wednesday in Centralia.

Pe Ell-Willapa Valley 13, Rainier 0

Pe Ell-Willapa Valley opened its postseason with a 13-0 mercy-rule win over Rainier in a 2B District 4 Tournament quarterfinal game on Wednesday at Forst Borst Park in Centralia.

The Titans offense showed no signs of rust in hammering 14 hits in the victory.

PWV center fielder Lauren Matlock led off the bottom of the first with a home run to center followed by a Tylar Keeton solo blast to left two batters later for a 2-0 lead after one inning.

The Titans scored four runs in the second on back-to-back RBI doubles by Jillian Hodel and Keeton followed by a run-scoring single by catcher Sophia Milanowski for a 6-0 lead.

Keeton lined a double to left to score two runs in the Titans’ three-run third and PWV would go up 13-0 with four runs in the fourth, highlighted by an RBI double by Brookelyn King and a two-run single from Hodel.

NICOLE SHANNON | MAIN FOCUS MEDIA Pe Ell-Willapa Valley shortstop Tylar Keeton throws to first during a 2B District 4 Tournament game on Wednesday at Forst Borst Park in Centralia.

Hodel and Keeton had three hits and four RBI each to lead PWV.

Hodel also earned the win in the circle, allowing three hits and a walk with four strikeouts in four innings pitched.

Eliza Barnum struck out two in one scoreless inning of relief for the Titans.

Rainier 000 00 – 0 3 2

PWV 243 4x – 13 14 0

WP: Hodel (4 IP, 0R, 3H, BB, 4K). LP: Cruse (4 IP, 13R, 9ER, 114H, 3BB, 2K).

Leading hitters: Rainier – Henry (2-2, 2B); Lantz (1-2). PWV – Hodel (3-4, 2B, 2R, 4RBI); Keeton (3-3, HR, 2 2B, 2R, 4RBI); Matlock (2-3, HR, 3R, RBI); Merkel (2-3, 2R, RBI); Milanowski (1-2, RBI); King (1-3, 2B, R, RBI); Phelps (1-3, 2R); Sipp (1-3).