Pe-Ell Willapa Valley falls to Raymond-South Bend in district title game

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Pe Ell-Willapa Valley trailed by five entering the seventh inning against Raymond-South Bend in the 2B District 4 Championship Game. 

Typically, a team wouldn’t have long to try and reset before attempting to string together a rally, but the Titans ended up having plenty of time before their final at-bats of the game.

More than 22 hours after the first pitch of the game was thrown, the Titans got their final chance, and though they got one run across, they fell 16-12 in the district title game on Friday.

The first six innings were played on Thursday, but the game was suspended after the sixth due to darkness.

“There was some adversity that we had to go through last night,” PWV coach Eric Hopfer said while also pointing out the conditions.

The rain played a major role for both pitchers, Eliza Barnum and Madisyn San, as they struggled to control the wet ball.

The two teams combined to draw 24 walks on Thursday, and when the ball would come over the plate, they didn’t miss.

RSB’s Emma Glazier opened the scoring in the first with a two-run blast, but PWV’s Tylar Keeton hit a three-run home run in the bottom half to give the Titans an early lead. Sophia Milanowski made it 4-2 with another home run just one at-bat later.

The Titans added four more in the second to go up 8-2, but the Ravens stormed back to tie it at eight in the third. PWV retook the lead with three more in the bottom of the third, but RSB outscored the Titans 8-0 over the next three innings before the game was suspended.

On the bus ride to the field Friday afternoon, Hopfer told his team they had what it takes to rally, and he had the stats to prove it. After all, the Titans had scored at least five runs in an inning in 15 of their games this season.

“So I said it doesn’t matter where we’re at in the game,” Hopfer said. “We just go out, jump on it, and see what we can put together … We didn’t get it done, but we got another run on the board.”

That run came from Karli Phelps, who hit her second home run of the tournament.

“She’s really coming on strong right now,” Hopfer said.

Though the Titans (19-5) fell short of their first district championship since 2019, they’ll head back to Yakima hoping to bring home another trophy.

Just last season, they placed third, and in 2022, they won the state title. That same season, they lost in the district title game before making the run in Yakima.

“It’s happened before,” Hopfer said. “We’re just ready to head over and do that routine.”