LYNDEN — North Olympic’s 14U fastpitch softball tournament team is one win away from the Babe Ruth Northwest Regional title.
The tournament team steamrolled its opponents on its way to a spot in today’s championship game, outscoring the opposition 52-8 in five games at the tournament.
And after going 2-0 in double elimination bracket play on Saturday, North Olympic will have two shots at winning the regional crown.
It will face the winner of Saturday night’s Mount Baker-Twin Falls contest sometime today.
A second game, if necessary, would be held later in the day.
“We want to finish things early and come on home,” North Olympic coach Brian Dills. “[Assistant coach] Tom Kuch took my spot as manager for the first two games of the tournament and the girls have been keeping it rolling.”
Three separate pitchers tossed complete games for North Olympic – Mariah Frazier twice, and Bailey Dills and Rachel Eastey once — during its 4-0 romp this weekend, while its lineup scored double digit runs in all but one game.
It began with 14-2 and 10-3 wins to end pool play 3-0 on Friday and ended with a 10-0 victory over Upper Rogue, Ore., and a 7-2 triumph against Twin Falls, Idaho, in bracket play on Saturday.
A total of eight North Olympic players had multi-hit games during that run, including Tori Kuch, Maddie Hinrichs, Lauren Aguirre, Raelyn Lucas, Meleny Fors, Jena Chamberlin, Dills and Frazier.
Both Aguirre and Frazier had two hits or more in all four games.
12Us win two
LYNDEN — North Olympic’s 12U Babe Ruth softball team finished pool play in its regional tourney undefeated after a pair of victories Friday.
The all-star squad beat Meridian 10-0 in four innings before posting another mercy rule win, this time a 14-1 triumph over Twin Falls, Idaho, at the end of the day.
Sarah Steinman earned the win on the mound in both games, while Dusti Lucas came on in relief in each.
Haley Gray led North Olympic’s bats, going a combined 5-for-7 with seven RBIs in the two wins. Ashlee Reed, Lois Harding, Hannah Stewart and Steinman each had multi-hit games, while Ralena Blackcrow belted the team’s lone home run.
North Olympic was scheduled to play the winner of a Meridian-Mount Baker matchup in the semifinals of the double-elimination bracket on Saturday. The game was delayed until today due to inclement weather.
The regional champion moves on to the 12U World Series in Wilson, N.C. Aug. 6-13.
