Kamiak softball’s district semifinal suspended for rain

Published 10:58 pm Wednesday, May 13, 2026

EVERETT — All Kylee Bjella wanted to do was put the ball in play.

Kamiak softball loaded the bases in the third and fourth innings of the District 1/2 4A semifinals against Issaquah on Wednesday, but failed to get any runs across. Trailing 3-1 in the fifth at the rainy Phil Johnson Ballfields, Kamiak needed to capitalize at some point.

Sophomore Olivia Martinez led off the bottom of the frame with a walk, and ultimately made it around the bases to cut it to 3-2, scoring on a wild pitch from third. Junior Riley Karabach worked a walk as well, then made it to third on back-to-back wild pitches. Another walk from sophomore Jocelyn Boonsripisal left Kamiak with runners on the corners as Bjella stepped to the plate.

The freshman would have been happy to keep the walk party going. Anything to pass the bat and provide more scoring opportunities. However, when Boonsripisal stole second to put both runners in scoring position, Bjella received the bunt sign from her coaches.

With the count 1-1, Bjella stuck her barrel out and laid it down the first base line, exactly where she needed to in order to sacrifice herself and allow Karabach to jog in for the tying run.

“The sign was given, the count was kind of setting it up, runners definitely in position for it,” Bjella said. “So just doing whatever to keep it on the right side, down first base line.”

At 3-3, it was a whole new ballgame between the No. 2 seed Knights (18-3) and No. 3 seed Eagles (17-5). In fact, that’s exactly what it will feel like when the sixth inning picks up on Thursday.

Shortly after Issaquah pitcher Shaelyn Erickson notched a strikeout to end the fifth, officials deliberated with the coaches and ultimately suspended the game as the rain continued to pour to a point where the pitchers could no longer handle the ball effectively.

“It’s even-matched, for sure. The big complaint is not being able to hold the ball, which is a safety issue,” Kamiak coach Ann Bradley said. “… It is what it is. It’s Washington weather. We all know that it’s about to happen, and you have to adjust. So we come back tomorrow.

“My girls, we told each other just to play loose and have fun. We already know we’re going to state, so there’s not a lot that was on the line that we have to be super worried about. I appreciate that my team always battles back. That inning’s just a prime example of the patience that they (have), and everyone knows we’re a six- (and) seventh-inning kind of hitting team, which really, we might want to stay (and finish the game on Wednesday), because this is usually when we start to hit. Now we’re going to be back to ground zero again.”

Indeed, the Knights’ state berth is already secure after missing the tournament last season, but Kamiak also hopes to return to the district title game after losing to Jackson in 2024.

They’ll just have to get it done in an odd way. When the sixth and seventh innings will physically feel like the first and second, it’ll be up to the players to make up for that mentally.

“Getting hype, just getting super loud, especially (during the) bus ride, warmups,” Bjella said. “Starting it earlier, just getting hype earlier, and then just going out and having the same mindset of just pounding them. Just going at it.”

Through five innings, senior Synclair Mawudeku allowed three hits, three walks and three earned runs to go with five strikeouts. Karabach went 1-for-1 with two runs scored and two walks, while Bjella and senior Cam Hansen each drove in a run.

It was a tough start for Mawudeku in the circle. She struck out the first batter she faced, but pitching to what Bradley described as a “small strike zone,” Mawudeku threw four straight balls after going up 0-2 in the count against the second batter, then walked the third in five pitches.

By the time Mawudeku found the zone again, Issaquah was ready to do damage. After fouling two pitches off, sophomore Shaina Starnicky took a 1-2 pitch down the middle and crushed it into the trees behind the center field fence. With just one out in the top of the first, Issaquah had a 3-0 lead.

The Kamiak infielders met in the circle, and Mawudeku retired the next two batters. She did not allow another run the rest of the evening, accepting that she might need to risk walking more batters as long as she avoided leaving crushable balls up the middle.

“Just knowing that I missed, really, on the plate and trying to work more off the plate,” Mawudeku said. “Although the strike zone was really small, I’d rather walk than give up a home run.”

The Knights got on the board in the bottom of the second. Eagles starter London White threw eight straight balls to walk Karabach and Boonsripisal, and both advanced to second and third, respectively, on a wild pitch in the next at-bat.

Hansen worked ahead 2-1 before reaching first on a dropped put out from her grounder to short, and Karabach scored to cut it to 3-1. Mawudeku worked a full-count walk to load the bases, and Issaquah brought Erickson into the circle to take over.

The junior quickly retired the next two Kamiak batters with a strikeout and an infield pop-up to strand the loaded bags and protect the 3-1 lead. The Knights loaded the bases again in the third with a pair of walks and an infield single from Karabach, but Erickson struck out two batters to strand them once again.

“My girls just have to readjust in the box, and just put the ball in play. Keep it low so they can move the bases,” Bradley said. “I think sometimes we get a little bit anxious up there, like we have to make the big play, and really, if you look at our record and how we hit, we’re not really a home run-hitting team. We’re more of a small ball team, so it’s just a constant reminder that small ball is what’s going to win the game.”

The small ball paid off in the fifth inning as Bjella’s bunt brought in the tying run, which Kamiak hopes will give it some momentum when the sixth inning resumes at Phil Johnson Ballfields at 6 p.m. on Thursday. The District 1/2 4A Championship will take place on Friday, where either Kamiak or Issaquah will face the winner of No. 5 North Creek and No. 9 Juanita, which was played on an adjacent field and also got suspended due to rain.

“We got a lot of runners on base, but we weren’t able to actually push them home,” Mawudeku said. “But yeah, I’m really glad that we were able to get some more runs and tie it up. (I) wasn’t feeling too good about the home run in the first inning, so yeah, I’m just glad that we could make it a new game.”

A new game indeed.