By Michael Carman
Peninsula Daily News
SELAH — The state softball tournament is not the place for bats to turn cold and mistakes to be made.
Unfortunately for Sequim (15-8), that’s what happened Friday at the Class 2A state tournament at Carlon Park in Selah.
The Wolves were hard-luck 6-4 losers to Selah in their state opener Friday afternoon and fell 6-3 to Tumwater in a loser-out contest.
“We just picked a bad time to go flat for a little bit, that’s what it came down to,” Sequim coach Tim Lusk said.
“At districts we had a team average of about .535 and at state we were right around .200,” Lusk said. “When you get to that level and you struggle to hit and you make a few mistakes in the field it can come back and hurt you.”
Lusk felt his team could have won both games.
“The first game we scored four runs and gave up four that we shouldn’t have. We should have won that one 4-2,” Lusk said.
Selah broke open a 4-4 tie with a two-run line drive double to left field in the top of the sixth inning to send Sequim to the loser’s bracket.
Senior Raelynn Opdyke homered and doubled for the Wolves in a loser-out contest against Tumwater, but the Thunderbirds triumphed 6-3.
“Hitting a home run at state was a great way to go out,” Lusk said. “We had been talking about [designated hitting] for her, but I thought she was due and she came through.
“Bobbi Sparks also played an excellent defensive game at shortstop.”
“I’m very pleased with the girls. They never quit and they held their heads high.”
The Wolves will graduate Sparks, Opdyke, Isabelle Dennis, Latisha Robideau and Ashleigh Cate.
“The seniors are a really good group of girls, it was a tearjearker when we lost,” Lusk said.
The team does have a talented crop returning led by freshmen LeeAnn Raney, Lili Fili, Christy Grubb and sophomores Jayla Julmist and Kiana Robideau.
“I had three of the freshmen with me driving home and we were already putting a lineup together,” Lusk said.
