EVERETT — With both teams clinching state softball berths earlier in the day, Glacier Peak and Marysville Pilchuck’s district third-place game began as a celebration of sorts for both teams.
It quickly turned into a slugfest.
In the end, Glacier Peak outlasted Marysville Pilchuck 13-9 in the 3A District 1 third-place game Thursday evening at Phil Johnson Fields. Both teams advance to next weekend’s 3A state tournament in Lacey.
Both teams had locked up state berths with loser-out wins earlier Thursday. The Tomahawks defeated Edmonds-Woodway 8-4 and Glacier Peak held off Mountlake Terrace 8-7.
“Marysville Pilchuck hits the ball as good as any team in the state,” said Glacier Peak coach Caitlin Nies. “That’s a great confidence builder for us knowing we can get a win against them and maybe help our seeding a little bit (for the state tournament). Once we got that state berth locked, I think for both sides, it was probably a little bit of relief.”
“I think both teams were celebrating and had going to state on their minds,” added Marysville Pilchuck coach Aaron Zachry. “State’s a clean slate. There will be 16 teams there that can all play softball. They’re there for a reason.”
Marysville Pilchuck scored three runs in the first inning and built a 6-1 lead before Glacier Peak (16-8 overall) came storming back. Abby Winckler was 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles and four RBI and Ashley Slemmons (2-3) added two more doubles and an RBI for the Grizzlies, who are heading to state for the second time in school history.
With a young squad featuring five freshmen and four sophomores, Nies praised seniors Corall Hjert and Abigail Doney for their leadership in Thursday’s games and throughout the season.
Marysville Pilchuck (18-6) is heading to state for the first time since 2012, when the Tomahawks went to the 4A tournament. Sophomore McKenzie Justice (3-for-4 with three RBI against Glacier Peak) hit home runs in both of Marysville Pilchuck’s games Thursday and Kylie Lopez added a home run in the win over Edmonds-Woodway.
The state-clinching victory over the Warriors fulfilled a prophecy from Zachry after the Tomahawks’ 13-11 loss to Edmonds-Woodway on April 12th.
“We had that chip on our shoulder. We had something to prove to them,” Zachry said. “When we lost that 13-11 game to Edmonds-Woodway in that little circle postgame discussion I said, ‘That team right there will be a team that you have to beat to go to state.’ … That was that team that it came down to tonight.”
Marysville Pilchuck suffered its biggest loss of the day in the first inning against Glacier Peak when first baseman Hannah Larson injured her right knee stretching to make a play.
Play stopped for about 15 minutes as the Tomahawks senior captain received medical attention. Larson left the field on crutches to get her knee looked at. Zachry said Larson was having an X-ray and MRI Thursday night, with the early indication being a dislocated knee cap.
“She’s been a big part of our offense this year,” Zachry said. “We lost our team leader, captain, first baseman in that game.”
At Phil Johnson Fields
WP: Rachel Schonhard. LP: Lilianne Fischer. Individual highlights: Marysville Pilchuck—McKenzie Justice (3-4, HR, 3 RBI). Glacier Peak—Abby Winckler (2-2, 2 2B, 4 RBI); Ashley Slemmons (2-3, 2 2B, RBI). Records—Marysville Pilchuck 18-6 overall. Glacier Peak 16-8.
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