She’s had no problems blowing by hitters with her rise ball. She’s a power pitcher every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
So when Tumwater High School ace Ella Ferguson spins her changeup, it creates a lethal three-pitch combo. Still, she admitted it was a pitch she had to regain trust in from the winter.
“I took the winter off and I wasn’t throwing it really well,” Ferguson said. “If I throw them something slow, they’re gonna swing through it.”
No better time to gain some confidence in her offspeed stuff than Friday night.
Ferguson fanned 14 Mark Morris hitters in a complete game, one-hit masterpiece to lead the Thunderbirds to their first district title in 19 years with a 3-0 triumph at Recreation Park. They head into the state tournament riding a seven-game winning streak.
And they beat the last remaining unbeaten in 2A to boot.
“When I came in at the beginning of the season, the first two weeks were harder than heck,” First-year head coach Shaunie Kennedy said. “They trusted the process, they listened and they kept climbing the ladder.”
Tumwater (19-3) won the 2006 district title at the 3A level. The T-Birds lost to W.F. West, also in Chehalis and also with Ferguson in the circle, in 2022.
Once Ferguson capped her performance with her final strikeout, the T-Birds celebration commenced. It featured team photos, pictures with friends and family, the school song and plenty of cheers.
Now, the state runners-up last spring are ready to finish the job in Selah this time.
“It is important that every goal we’ve set, we’ve accomplished,” Ferguson stated. “We’re really excited, more than ever, to go win it.”
It was set up as a pitcher’s duel between Ferguson – bound for Sacramento State – and Mark Morris southpaw Makenzie Henthorn, a Montana commit. Henthorn finished with seven strikeouts, but was tagged for three runs in the bottom of the second.
Sarah Stevens got into an inside pitch and launched a no-doubt home run to right field to put Tumwater ahead early.
Stevens is a left-hander herself.
“I stepped a little off the plate,” she said. “I told them she was going to go out and just take it that way.”
Sophie Skillman roped a run-scoring single and Megan Barrett ripped an RBI double to cap the inning. That proved to be the only offense needed to secure the victory.
“We had to find ways to get on base and score,” Kennedy said.
Every loss this season for Tumwater has turned into a winning streak.
The season-opening run-rule loss to Olympia was followed by six straight wins. Dropping the first EvCo tussle to W.F. West resulted in the Thunderbirds reeling off another six consecutive victories.
The current seven-game streak started after a 6-1 loss to Aberdeen in the midst of a league title chase.
“We take it one day at a time,” Stevens said.
As Tumwater begins the trek to Carlon Park once again, it already has two goals checked off. Yet the final one has been the biggest target.
And the Thunderbirds don’t plan on missing.
“You hear all the time whoever wants it more is going to win and I truly think we want it more than anyone in 2A,” Ferguson said. “We’re a team of tone-setters.”
