EVERETT — The Everett softball team already had a state berth wrapped up going into Thursday’s district championship game.
So Seagulls head coach Mike Millar told his girls to treat the title game like a celebration.
The Everett players responded by celebrating their way to a big 15-1 victory over Meadowdale to clinch the 3A District 1 title at Phil Johnson Ballfields.
“I told the girls, winning that second game on Tuesday was a huge relief. We knew that we were going to state,” Millar said. “We treated this game as a celebration for our season this year. And I told the girls, ‘There is the least amount of pressure in this game than any game all season. We have reached our goals. Just go out and play this game as free as can be.’”
Everett freshman Megan Gordon got the scoring started with a solo home run in her first district championship at-bat to lead off the bottom of the second inning. But the real damage came in an 11-run third as the Seagulls brought 15 batters to the plate and tallied seven hits.
“It feels amazing. I love this group of girls with all my heart,” Gordon said. “I knew that our hard work and dedication would pay off and it really has. It just makes me so happy to be going to Lacey with this group of girls.
“It’s definitely a big goal to just push ourselves and just keep pushing — no mercy throughout the whole game,” Gordon continued. “Our offense definitely was on this game. Once the rally started we knew that we had it.”
Everett junior Gabby Koehler went 2-for-2 in the third inning alone with a double and four RBI. Koehler finished the game 3-for-3 with three runs scored.
“She’s been banged up a little bit for the last couple of weeks,” Millar said. “She kind of twisted her knee in the Oak Harbor game so she really hasn’t been able to put a lot of practice time in. It’s kind of been, ‘Get her through the week and get her ready for the game.’”
Erin Gordon batted 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored and Rachel Christensen went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored.
“I think she tied Sydney for the lead in batting average on our team this year,” Millar said of Christensen, another freshman. “They both hit around .530 and I think they were neck-and-neck in leading the team in RBI too. She’s a great player to have in that No. 5 hole. She doesn’t strike out, she puts the ball in play, a really good hitter to have up in any situation.”
Millar was surprised by the big margin on the scoreboard. In the two teams’ previous meeting this season, Everett (22-1 overall) prevailed 6-5 in eight innings.
That game also marked the first home run of Megan Gordon’s career.
“She’s been doing that all season,” Millar said. “In the game against Meadowdale earlier this season she hit her first career home run in that game and also had a huge triple. That’s why she’s hitting in the No. 4 spot: She makes contact and she drives the ball. She’s a competitor. She’s good under the spotlight, that’s for sure.”
Meadowdale (20-3) coach Dennis Hopkins was also surprised by the lopsided result. Still, the Mavericks coach said he would prefer the team give up 15 runs in Thursday’s game than when Meadowdale gets to next weekend’s 3A state tournament in Lacey.
“It’s not a huge loss,” said Hopkins, who is leading Meadowdale to state for the fourth consecutive season. “Yeah, the runs scored, that’s huge. … But if you’re going to have a bad day have it here, not when you’re all the way down there when everything counts.”
The 15 runs allowed was a season high for the Mavericks, more than doubling the previous high of six.
“You definitely do not like to go home feeling like this but they’ll shake it off and be able to pull it out,” Hopkins said. “It was just good hitting. Everett’s got some good bats. They hit really well and were able to move people around when they had to.”
Kaylee Williams hit a solo home run with two outs in the top of the fifth inning to break up the shutout. It was one of two hits for Meadowdale in the game.
“Everett played a really good game,” Hopkins said. “We’re pretty equal teams when it comes to it, and they were finding the right spot to hit the ball to. …We told them, ‘It’s a long day of practice.’ Have some fun. They’re all light. They’re good with it. I think they’ll bounce back. I don’t think we’ll have too much trouble with it.”
Everett is returning to the 3A state tournament for the first time since 2012, when it finished placed second.
Megan Gordon and the Seagulls are eager to get to Lacey, riding a 20-game winning streak. The Seagulls’ last loss — and only defeat of the season — came in a non-conference game against Jackson on March 25.
“We feel as prepared as we’ve ever been this season to be going to Lacey,” Gordon said. “We feel great and feel like we’re going to go there and do well.”
At Paul Johnson Fields
Meadowdale 000 01 — 1 2 2
Everett 01(11) 3x — 15 13 1
Julia Reuble, Samantha Gregoryk (3) and Emma Helm. Sydney Taggart and Rachel Christensen. WP–Taggart. LP–Reuble. 2B–Christensen (E). HR–Megan Gordon (E), Kaylee Williams (M). Records–Meadowdale 20-3 overall. Everett 22-1.
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