Tigers Add to 2A Chaos, Down T-Birds on Sprague 3-RBI Double

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It just doesn’t stop.

The crazy, white-knuckling, never-sane whirlwind that is the 2A EvCo softball season kicked off its final week with yet another twist Monday at Fort Borst in the form of a 3-2 win for Centralia over Tumwater, keeping the Tigers in the postseason hunt and knocking the T-Birds from league title contention.

“They knew it was do-or-die tonight, and they came to play,” Centralia coach David Orr said.

But a simple description of the final destination belies the chaos of the journey taken to get there.

Tumwater ace Ella Ferguson — who had thrown every single pitch for the T-Birds in their first 18 games — started the day on the bench, with sophomore Elizabeth McCartney going to the circle for her first varsity start. After the T-Birds sprung for two runs in the top of the first, the change worked. McCartney had to work around a couple of runners, but gave up weak contact again and again, letting a Tumwater defense that has struggled at times this spring make plays behind her.

“It was super offspeed, and we struggled,” Orr said.

Then came the fourth. Jimena Luis led off with a single, and when Makayla Chavez tried to put down a sacrifice bunt, nobody covered first base, allowing everyone to move up safely. Hollynn Wakefield dropped in a single, and the Tigers had the bases loaded with no outs.

McCartney came back to get a harmless pop-out, but with one out, Orr went to his bench to summon a pinch hitter. No sooner had he made his switch than Tumwater coach Ashley Lupinski came out to make hers, sending Ferguson into the jam.

Ferguson immediately fired three fastballs by Liliana Babka to get the second out of the inning, bringing up Centralia’s No. 9 hitter, freshman Brooklyn Sprague. 

Down in the count 1-2, Sprague got on time and lifted a ball to deep left field, scoring Luis, scoring Chavez, and — with a slide — scoring Wakefield to put the Tigers ahead.

“Brooklyn came up big,” Orr said. “She got us three runs today, and that’s all we needed to get it done.”

That was all Centralia needed because after walking three in the first inning, Wakefield was complete nails. Once the Tigers took the lead, the sophomore went nine-up, nine-down to end the game, doubling off the T-Birds’ lone baserunner in that span to get out of the sixth.

Wakefield finished with five hits allowed in the complete-game win, not allowing any free passes after the first and striking out six.

“She just stuck with it,” Orr said. “She found the zone, worked it in and out and up and down, mixing in a bit of offspeed. She did a great job. She kept them in the park… and let her defense work.”

McCartney finished her day with two strikeouts in 3 ⅓ innings, allowing three hits. Because she let on all three runners that scored in the fourth, all three runs were charged to her. Ferguson gave up three hits and struck out five in 2 ⅔. 

“I though both pitchers did excellent,” Tumwater coach Ashley Lupinski said. “Really, I couldn’t have asked for anything more from them.”

Luis and Chavez both went 2 for 3 in the heart of the Centralia order, with Chavez hitting two doubles. McCartney and Kylie Waltermeyer had doubles for the Thunderbirds.

Tumwater is set to wrap up the regular season against Black Hills on Wednesday. Centralia will get one game for its whole season, taking on Rochester on the road in a winner-to-Districts matchup.

“When we play our game, we can beat anybody,” Orr said. “So we’re going to treat it like just another game.”