(VIDEO) Snohomish softball sprints past Everett

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, May 1, 2019

EVERETT —Snohomish’s Taylor Khorrami runs like a gazelle, so much so that when she’s rounding second, there’s zero hesitation.

Her long strides and quick giddy-up will guide her safely to third.

The senior centerfielder recorded a pair of RBI triples to boost the Panthers over the Everett Seagulls, 3-1, in a nine-inning contest on Wednesday night at Lincoln Field.

“You could just hear the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ as she was taking her turns on those triples,” Snohomish coach Patti Lande said. “Just awesome, awesome baserunning. And great clutch hits.”

Khorrami, who hits leadoff for the Panthers, should credit Janell Williams for helping set the table for her offensive highlights with some key plays.

In the top of the ninth, Williams laid down a bunt down the third-base after Grace Wales’ one-out single preceded her at-bat, and the close play at third forced the ball to carom off the glove of Everett’s first baseman and well down the first-base fence line, allowing Wales to score and Snohomish to capture the extra-innings lead.

“It was awesome,” Lande said of Williams. “And the other thing that’s awesome is that she’s only a sophomore. She’s a younger kid and to see her produce like under that type of pressure is awesome. It shows how much she’s matured this year.”

Khorrami laced her second RBI triple of the night to left-center field to plate Williams and put the Panthers up 3-1.

Jordan Crawford sat the Seagulls down in order in the bottom of the frame to seal the win. Crawford pitched all nine innings for Snohomish, allowing one run on seven hits while fanning four and walking two in the winning effort.

“The game was not without errors on our part — and on my part, there were some baserunning things. It wasn’t the prettiest game,” Lande said.

After Williams reached on a fielder’s choice, Khorrami roped a two-out triple to plate a run and open the scoring in the fifth, handing Snohomish a 1-0 lead.

“Coming off a strikeout, I knew I just had to stay off of the outside pitch and play my game and play composed,” Khorrami said. “I knew when I saw that pitch I had to get some runs.”

The Panthers had a difficult time solving Everett starter Jackie Rookaird, who allowed three runs — two earned — on six hits with six strikeouts.

“She took it to us,” Lande said. “She did a great job, she did an amazing job.”

Rookaird also provided the Seagulls their only run of the contest by swatting a one-out homer over the fence in right-center to tie the game in the sixth.

There were other chances for Everett to provide Rookaird run support, though.

The Seagulls were presented with some sterling chances to pull ahead late in the game, but failed to capitalize on any of the opportunities.

After Andrea Hedington worked a two-out walk and Kendall Tebatebai reached on a fielding error, Everett coach Mike Millar inserted Isabel Koivu, a speedy sophomore for the Seagulls, as a pinch-runner to try and plate the go-ahead run, but Crawford stuck out Jazmine McMiller to quell the threat.

Kassidy Millar reached on a fielding error and pinch hitter Kelsey Harris legged out a bunt single to place the winning run on second with one out in the bottom of the eighth.

But Miller was thrown out attempting to steal third and Isabelle Hansen fired to second to nab Harris.

The go-ahead run at second base with one-out evaporated in an instant for Everett.

“I thought that we left a lot of chances out there and left a lot of runners and sometimes had a hard time stringing hits together,” Millar said. “(Crawford) did a good job of keeping us off-balance.”

Snohomish (14-2, 10-1 Wesco 3A) remains in striking distance of Meadowdale, which is undefeated in league play, for the top spot in the conference. Everett (13-4, 9-2) falls to third in the standings and two games behind the Mavericks.

“That was our toughest game,” Lande said. “I know we lost to Meadowdale, but that Everett game was a really, really tough one. I think this shows us that if we stick to our ideas of keeping our team strong through adversity, we can pretty much do anything.”