The Lady Wolves (18-5 overall) found their way to state this week after a strong run in the West Central District Championships’ consolation bracket.
Sequim stymied the Sammamish Totems 5-2 on May 23 in Tacoma’s Sprinker Fields to earn the school’s sixth straight trip to the 2A state fastpitch championships.
They’ll see a mirror matchup from last year opening again against the Othello Huskies (20-2 overall) at 10 a.m. Friday, May 27, in Selah’s Carlon Park. Othello won the 2A Central Washington Athletic Conference this year and defeated the Wolves 10-0 at state in 2015 and went on to take third.
Sequim lost in the consolation 6-5 to Orting.
Win or lose, Sequim and Othello potentially could face Port Angeles or Lynden in the next round.
The Wolves opened districts on May 20 with a monstrous 18-0 win over Evergreen (10-11) behind a combined perfect game from pitcher McKenzie Bentz and Shelby Jones who pitched two and three innings each and each struck out four batters. Allysen Montelius led the Wolves with four RBIs and two stolen bases and nearly Sequim’s whole lineup either had a hit or a run. The Wolverines also gave up 10 walks in the game.
Later in the day, Sequim faced Fife (20-1) and their ace pitcher Anna Kasner blanked the Wolves with 16 strikeouts in an 8-0 loss. Sequim’s Adrienne Haggerty broke up Kasner’s perfect game with a bunt in the fifth inning.
Rain delayed the Wolves’ next matchup with Steilacoom (13-9) until Monday.
The Sentinels went up 3-0 off two singles in the third inning but Sequim responded with one run in the bottom of the third when Montelius hit a double and Chloie Sparks hit a sacrifice fly to bring her in.
Haggerty swung big in the sixth inning, hitting a triple to bring in three runners and Montelius and Bobbie Sparks both had RBI singles in the inning. Bentz pitched a complete game with six strikeouts, seven hits and two earned runs.
In the state-deciding game, Sequim went up 2-0 in the third inning after Isabelle Dennis scored on an error and Bentz’s bunt brought in Bobbi Sparks. Sequim went up 3-0 in the sixth after Emily Copeland singled to bring in Chloie Sparks. In the seventh, Bentz and Montelius hit RBI singles. Bentz recorded a complete game with one strikeout and one earned run.
