RICHLAND — For most high school softball teams, the bottom three spots in the lineup – primarily – are not reserved for the strongest hitters.
Not the case for Rochester’s lineup.
One through nine, it features a mixture of speed, power and the ability to get on base to set up the first two attributes. Look no further than the 7-8-9 hitters’ production on Thursday afternoon.
Leah Hartley, Addie Morgan and Charlie Culp totaled half of the seventh-seeded Warriors 10 hits and over half of their runs to fuel them to an 8-1 victory over 10th-seeded Cashmere in a Class 1A state tournament Round of 12 contest at Columbia Playfield in Richland.
“If we can put everything together, all nine of us, we’re gonna be really good,” Rochester head coach Joni Guerrero said. “Complete team effort. A huge spot for those girls; difference in the ball game.”
It marks the first time, per the WIAA, since the 2000 2A state tournament that Rochester (17-6) won a championship bracket side game at state.
After losing the first round last year in 2A despite a late rally versus North Kitsap, to end up with a 1-2 record in Selah, the Warriors started off on the right foot in their 1A state debut.
“We usually come in flat the last couple of years, so it is huge we made it happen,” ace pitcher Layna Demers said.
Demers mowed down 10 Bulldog hitters, including seven total against the bottom-third of their lineup. She effectively used her fastball/riseball combo and added her changeup when needed.
Guerrero felt it wasn’t her best performance in the circle. Still, allowing four total and just one walk kept their opposition from the South Central Athletic Conference at bay.
“We know towards the bottom it is players that aren't going to swing as much so I can just go right at (them),” Demers said.
Scoreless heading into the bottom of the third inning, Rochester started to flex its offensive muscles.
After a walk, hit by pitch, a SAC bunt by No. 3 hitter McKenna Vassar and a Demers walk, Hailey Boyd stepped up with the bases loaded and two outs. It took one pitch off the hand of Cashmere starter Macie Zimmerman for a two-run single to open the scoring.
Then in the fourth, Boyd bobbled a grounder at short, but it pushed Kate Jacobson too far from third base and the routine 6-5-2 putout kept the two-run cushion. Demers proceeded to strike out Lily Wilson to end the inning.
“That bobble slowed down my mind, it definitely helped,” Boyd said. “A lot of us get in our heads.”
“Getting the lead runner is always the best,” Demers added.
Two more runs by the Warriors were tacked on in the fourth. They sent nine batters to the plate in a four-run fifth that featured a two-run bloop single by Cheyenne Justice.
Justice, Hartley and Culp all recorded two hits for Rochester.
“I have a lot of faith (in our offense),” Boyd said.
Royal is the defending state champion in 1A and went 20-3 overall and 13-1 in the same league as Cashmere. One of the common opponents between the quarterfinal foes is Elma, where the Knights dropped a 5-4 decision and Rochester went 2-1 versus the Eagles.
“It is gonna take a good game,” Guerrero said. “I like having a game under our belt, get a little bit looser. If Layna does what she does (in the circle) and we do what we do at the plate, we should be happy.”
In the span of a week, the Warriors went from the top seed in the district tournament to the seventh seed at state. Yet Guerrero, Boyd and Demers all feel this experienced group prefers the latter.
“It is important for us to know we’re not undefeatable and that chip on our shoulder makes us work harder for these wins,” Boyd said.
