NK softball completes perfect season, wins state title

The top-seeded North Kitsap softball team won the 2A state championship 8-1 over third-seeded Ridgefield by hitting four home runs to complete their undefeated season at 25-0.

Viking Julia Schuchart hit a solo shot in the 2nd inning to lead 1-0. Ridgefield stranded 2 runners in 1st. Coriana McMillian got caught in a pickle between third and home. However, she slid head-first into home plate and beat the throw to make it 2-0. Pitcher Reese Anderson escaped the second inning after loading the bases by striking out a Ridgefield batter.

NK added another run in the third inning but was retired shortly after. Mackenzie Phillips and Cerenity Fake put the icing on the cake with back-to-back home runs in the seventh to make it 8-1, securing the championship.

The Vikings struggled in the first game in Selah against No. 16 R.A. Long, capturing a 4-0 victory. In the second game, North Kitsap broke the Lynden curse, defeating the Lions 13-1 in five innings.

Anna Wetzsteon began the scoring display with a 2-RBI double when the bases were loaded to take a 2-0 lead. Both teams added one more run in the first to make it 3-1. In the second inning, the Vikings loaded the bases again. Phillips blooped a ball to right field for a 2-RBI single. The Vikings continued to pile up the bases and clear them. Heading into the fifth inning, the Vikings lead 10-1.

Allison Dvorak hit an RBI double to put the 13th run on the board and end the Vikings offense for the first day. After throwing the first few innings, Anderson was replaced by Fake. Fake put a few base runners on board but shut down the Lions in the fifth to end the game.

NK picked up where they left off on the first day. Phillips picked up a leadoff double and scored in the first inning of the semi-final matchup against Enumclaw. Schuchart hit an RBI double too to boost the score in the first inning to 2-0. Wetzsteon added a third run with an RBI single.

A mixture of extra-base hits, a handful of errors and wild pitches boosted North Kitsap’s lead to 9-0 after two and a half innings. The Vikings added one more run in the fifth to win 10-0 in five innings.

Olympic won its first game over Othello 11-3. The Trojans were able to get runners across the plate with a combination of wild pitches and a couple of hits. Brenda Morrisonn picked up the first RBI for the Trojans with a single. Othello responded with a couple of runs to make it 3-2 after two innings. However, Olympic made the most damage in the fifth inning with six runs. By the time the game ended, the Trojans added a few more insurance runs to move forward.

The Trojans second game was against Enumclaw. Olympic loaded the bases in the first inning but only captured one run. Enumclaw responded with a 2-RBI double in the second to take the lead. After that, the Trojans tried to catch up for the rest of the game. They were able to tie it at 2-2 but lost it shortly after. Enumclaw was able to hold the lead and walk away with an 8-6 victory.

In their third game, the Trojans faced Orting and won 13-12. Port Angeles sent Olympic home with a 2-2 record after beating them 15-6.