EVERETT — The Mountlake Terrace softball team didn’t know what to expect in its district semifinal game against Ferndale, the top — and only — 3A team in the Northwest Conference that participates in the 3A District 1 tournament.
The Hawks quickly discovered the Golden Eagles were going to be a challenge.
Ferndale scored quickly in the bottom of the first inning and kept the Mountlake Terrace bats mostly quiet as the Golden Eagles clinched a spot in the district title game, and a state berth, with a 3-1 win over the Hawks Tuesday night at Phil Johnson Fields.
Mountlake Terrace plays Everett in a loser-out game Thursday at 4 p.m.
“I had no idea what to expect from Ferndale. They came out and are a great team,” said Mountlake Terrace head coach Shannon Rasmussen. “I knew they played against 1A and 2A teams and they are 20-1. So you’re like, ‘OK, they’ve got to be a decent team.’
“I think they’re probably the top team we’ve played so far.”
Ferndale pitcher Lauren Maley struck out 12 Hawks batters and the Golden Eagles posted three runs on nine hits in the contest.
Maddy Kristjanson scored Mountlake Terrace’s lone run in the fourth inning. Kristjanson reached base with a triple and then scored on a groundout to second base, briefly tying the score at 1-1 before Ferndale answered with a run of its own in the bottom half of the inning.
“She’s kind of our spark plug,” Rasmussen said. “She can get on base and figures out a way to get around. It was a little ground ball to second base. She waited to make sure she got past the pitcher and she scored.”
Rasmussen said she hopes Mountlake Terrace (11-11 overall), which got to the district semifinal game thanks to an 11-5 win over Marysville Pilchuck in its district opener, gains some confidence from keeping the game close against Ferndale (21-1).
“It was always a close game,” Rasmussen said. “We just needed to get that hitting going and we just weren’t able to. I’m glad that we were at least able to keep it tough.”
Ferndale 3, M. Terrace 1
At Phil Johnson Fields
M. Terrace 000 100 0 – 1 2 3
Ferndale 100 101 x – 3 9 0
Lauren Maley and Drew Westford. Gabby Calhoun, Ashley Fitzgerald (4) and Hannah Baisch. WP—Maley. LP—Calhoun (5-5) 2B—Kadence Kane (F), Collette Brown (F). 3B—Maddy Kristjanson (MT). Records—Mountlake Terrace 11-11 overall. Ferndale 21-1.
M. Terrace 11, M. Pilchuck 5
At Phil Johnson Fields
M. Terrace 610 012 1 — 11 12 1
M. Pilchuck 002 120 0 — 5 11 5
Gabby Calhoun and Hannah Baisch. Jordan Willard and Kylie Lopez. WP—Calhoun (5-5). LP—Willard (11-8). 2B—Calhoun (MT), Sammy Harter (MT), Abigail Otto (MP). Records—Mountlake Terrace 11-11 overall. Marysville Pilchuck 12-11.
Stanwood 11, M. Pilchuck 10
At Phil Johnson Fields
Stanwood 341 020 1 — 11 20 0
Marysville Pilchuck 100 007 2 — 10 10 0
Emma London, Teagan Miller (6) and Maggie Matthews. Kylie Lopez, Jordan Willard (2), Lexie Phelps and Lopez (2). WP—London (4-9). LP—Lopez (1-1). 2B—Hannah Larson (MP), Karly Albertson (MP), Megan Luketich (MP), London (ST), Kailee Hood (ST), Matthews (ST). HR—Albertson (MP), Kara Shelley (Stan). Records—Stanwood 9-13 overall. Marysville Pilchuck 12-10.
Ferndale 12, Stanwood 2 (6)
At Phil Johnson Fields
Stanwood 000 002 x — 2 6 0
Ferndale 001 443 x — 12 12 0
Emma London and Maggie Matthews. Lauren Maley and Brew Westford. WP—Maley. LP—London (3-9). 2B—Dana Eve (F), Kaydence Kane (F). HR—Westford (F) 2. Records—Stanwood 8-13 overall. Ferndale 21-1.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
