YAKIMA — Softball catchers have it rough. They spend half the game with knees bent in gritty dirt or mud, chase down wild pitches, charge bunts and are a prime target of foul tips that leave bruises in the spots chest protectors and leg guards leave unprotected.
And then they bear the brunt of barrelling baserunners determined to score.
It’s a difficult and mostly thankless job.
But the production and performance of their backstops have been absolutely necessary for the North Olympic Peninsula’s state-bound softball teams Port Angeles, Sequim, Chimacum and Quilcene.
Quilcene in Yakima
The Rangers (16-1) are seeking their fifth straight trophy when they open Class 1B state tournament today at 1 p.m. against Sunnyside Christian at Yakima’s Gateway Sports Complex at Kiwanis Park.
Quilcene has placed third at state two years in a row, and was fourth in 2013 and 2014.
Rangers catcher Erin Macedo, a two-time All-Peninsula honoree, has provided production in droves during much of Quilcene’s successful run.
Macedo is hitting an absurd .750 at the plate, with six home runs, 43 RBIs an .875 on-base percentage and a slugging percentage so high (nearly 1.5) that Barry Bonds (season best .863) and Babe Ruth (career-best .690) are jealous.
“She brings toughness, leadership, talent and a high degree of character to our team,” Rangers coach Mark Thompson said. “She is a great teammate.”
Chimacum in Richland
A senior-heavy Cowboys squad (six seniors) will take on College Place (14-7), a brand-new school with no senior class this year, in their Class 1A state opener today at 10 a.m. at Columbia Playfield in Richland.
Chimacum (12-4) gets a lift at catcher from senior Mechelle Nisbet, the team leader in batting average according to coach Jim Eldridge.
“She brings so much to the plate for us,” Eldridge said. “She’s our No. 1 hitter, has power, you saw that home run she hit at districts, that was a blast.”
Eldridge said Nisbet controls the game for his team behind the plate. He provided an example from the Cowboys’ 9-8 win over Seattle Christian at the district tournament.
“They were a slap bunting and stealing team,” Eldridge said. “Their leadoff batter got on base in the first inning, and she was a leadoff hitter for a reason, she was fast.
“But she tried to steal second and Mechelle gunned her out at second. They never tried stealing again. That play took them out of their game and changed their strategy. And in a one-run game like that, you can see how important that was for us.
“And our pitcher, Holly [Snider] doesn’t throw as hard as our pitcher from last year, Ryley [Eldridge], so Mechelle has to throw the ball that much faster to get a better jump.”
Eldridge praised Nisbet’s ability to block wayward pitches.
He also thought the Olympic League 1A Division’s MVP vote should have been split between Mechelle and her twin sister, shortstop Shaniya Nisbet.
Instead, Shaniya Nisbet shared the award with Coupeville’s Katrina McGranahan.
“I thought Shaniya or Mechelle were the top candidates,” Eldridge said. “The Coupeville girls is a great player, but we did beat them three times and Mechelle and Shaniya were huge for us in all of the wins.”
PA, Sequim in Selah
The Roughriders (19-1) and Wolves (14-10) will make their fifth and seventh straight state appearances, respectively, today at Carlon Park in Selah.
When Port Angeles tangles with Othello (16-8) in their noon opener, the Roughriders will have a softball-crazed former Olympic League MVP behind the plate in senior Lauren Lunt.
Lunt, who will play in college at the University of Mary in North Dakota, is a student of the game.
“Lauren has been around the game for many years through playing and watching college softball,” Port Angeles coach Randy Steinman said.
“She has caught [pitchers] Nizhoni [Wheeler] and Callie [Hall] since she was 10, so she knows what pitches each one can throw and what is working well on that particular day.”
Steinman said he has “complete confidence in his catchers to call the game because they are experienced at it” from game situations.
Lunt has added the home-run ball to her offensive attack this season. She is batting .514 with a four homers, 37 RBIs, an on-base percentage of .519 and an .838 slugging percentage.
“Lauren has never hit a home run over the fence until this year,” Steinman said. “She has worked really hard on perfecting her hitting sequence and has eliminated the barriers that has kept the ball in the park the previous years.”
Steinman said Lunt is special for a number of reasons.
“Lauren brings passion, experience and the most important [element] of fun to the team,” he said.
Sequim sophomore Raelynn Opdyke will be behind the plate when the Wolves open state against Mountlake Terrace (18-4) today at 10 a.m.
Opdyke was mid-season convert to the position from the outfield.
“Raelynn stepped in half way through the season behind the plate,” Sequim coach Tim Lusk said.
“She continues to improve every game. It takes a lot of energy and stamina to play this position and she is starting to contribute more with the bat as she gains confidence.”
