The 2016 All Area Softball Team: (L to R) Pe Ell-Willapa Valley's Dakota Brooks, Napavine's Erika Potter, Rochester's Jaelin Lancaster, Onalaska's Alicia Vint, Rochester's Joni Lancaster, W.F. West's Olivia Dean, W.F. West's Roni Braun, W.F. West's Ashlee Vadala, Adna's Samantha Rolfe, Tenino's Morgan Masters, Adna's Shanay Dotson, Centralia's Payton Pocklington, Adna's Kendra Stajduhar. Not pictured: W.F. West's Lexie Strasser, Morton-White Pass' Christine Robbins.
The 2016 All-Area Softball Team. Front Row: (L to R) W.F. West's Olivia Dean, W.F. West's Kindra Davis (All-Area MVP), W.F. West's Ashlee Vadala. Second Row: Rochester's Joni Lancaster, Rochester's Jaelin Lancaster, Adna's Shanay Dotson, W.F. West's Roni Braun, Adna's Kendra Stajduhar. Back Row: Onalaska's Alicia Vint, Pe Ell-Willapa Valley's Dakota Brooks, Tenino's Morgan Masters, Napavine's Erika Potter, Centralia's Payton Pocklington. Not pictured: W.F. West's Lexie Strasser, Morton-White Pass' Christine Robbins.
During a year in which she was unable to play because of an ACL injury, W.F. West sophomore catcher Kindra Davis gained in perspective what she missed in playing time.
“It made me realize that it’ll be over and I won’t be able to do this anymore,” Davis said. “Sitting there and watching — because I still traveled with my team — those girls play was just heartbreaking, and so I try to take full advantage every opportunity I have.
“It was really hard at first to come back and to do everything in full motion,” said Davis. “But I’ve been taking advantage of the time I have and working hard.”
Davis didn’t miss a step in her return to the Bearcats, and following a dominant offensive performance in 2016, took The Chronicle’s All-Area Softball MVP award.
With a .544 batting average, 53 RBIs and 12 home runs, Davis was a crucial component of a W.F. West team that won the 2A District 4 title for the fifth year in a row and placed third in the state tournament.
Davis, the 2A Evergreen League Offensive MVP, also had 10 doubles and three triples on the year. Her hitting totals were bolstered by a district tournament in which she had four home runs.
“It was sort of a new thing for me this year,” Davis said. “I hit maybe three home runs before my ACL injury, and after I came back, playing high school ball, it was just working. It’s pretty awesome. I never thought I’d be able to do this.”
W.F. West won the EvCo with a 9-0 record. The Bearcats, behind the hitting of Davis, were undefeated until the 2A state semifinals.
Dean was one of five Bearcats named to the All-Area team. Sophomore shortstop Olivia Dean, an EvCo All-League selection, hit .478, with 14 RBIs and a team-leading 42 runs scored. Junior Lexie Strasser and sophomore Ashlee Vadala, who were named co-pitching MVPs of the EvCo, were also named to the All-Area team. Strasser was 13-1 with a 1.50 ERA and 65 strikeouts. Strasser also contributed offensively with .413 BA, 27 RBIs and six doubles. Vadala held a 13-0 record with a 1.62 ERA and 41 strikeouts, along with a .429 BA, 19 RBIs and nine doubles. Senior center fielder Roni Braun hit 13 home runs for the Bearcats, including seven in the final eight games of the regular season. Braun, a George Fox-commit named to the EvCo All-League team, hit .419 with 43 RBIs.
2B State Runner-Up Adna had a trio of seniors named to the All-Area team. Shortstop Shanay Dotson committed just three errors while hitting .544 and recording 33 RBIs and 10 doubles. Outfielder and leadoff-hitter Kendra Stajduhar batted .564 with 28 RBIs, 11 doubles and 56 runs while striking out once all year. Pitcher Sam Rolfe was 14-2 with a 1.90 ERA with six walks. Rolfe also batted .394 for Adna, which was a perfect 16-0 in C2BL action during the regular season.
“Adna is definitely going to miss those three. They brought a lot to this program the last four years,” coach Mike Raschke said.
Pe Ell-Willapa Valley’s Dakota Brooks was named the Central 2B League MVP after helping the Titans to an 11-5 record in the C2BL, hit .598 with 14 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, and 38 RBIs. Brooks also threw 109 K’s from the circle.
“I always have high expectations for myself,” Brooks said. “Pitching, I did pretty well this year. Our coaches pushed us really hard.”
Rochester, which finished first in the Evergreen 2A/1A Conference, placed senior twins Joni and Jaelin Lancaster on the All-Area squad. Joni, a shortstop named the EvCo 2A/1A All-League co-Offensive MVP, finished the season with a .556 BA and 36 RBIs. She recorded five doubles, four triples and six home runs. Jaelin, a pitcher and infielder who was the EvCo 2A/1A All-League Defensive MVP, hit .440 with 11 doubles and 25 RBIs while maintaining a 10-0 record from the circle.
Infielder Alicia Vint of Onalaska’s rmade the All-Area team after the sophomore registered a .566 BA with 10 doubles, six triples and three home runs. Vint added 19 RBIs and 39 runs scored for the Loggers, who placed third at the 2B District 4 tournament.
Morton-White Pass senior pitcher Christine Robbins compiled a record of 8-5 with a 3.08 ERA while tossing 115 strikeouts. Robbins, a C2BL All-League first-team selection, also hit .562 with eight doubles, four triples and four home runs.
Napavine senior infielder Erika Potter, also a C2BL All-League first-team pick, was named to the All-Area team after hitting .476, with 41 RBIs, nine home runs and 40 runs scored. Potter led the Tigers to a runner-up position in the C2BL during the regular season.
Morgan Masters, a senior from Tenino committed to play at Pacific University next year, hit .433, recording eight doubles, four triples and 15 RBIs. In 16 appearances in the circle, Masters had a 3.45 ERA with 79 strikeouts.
Centralia’s Payton Pocklington earned a spot on the All-Area team with a .407 BA, eight doubles, a triple, and a home run. The senior infielder also recorded 13 RBIs.
