Meadowdale wins school’s first state softball championship

LACEY — The four Meadowdale seniors made sure the younger Mavericks were on the same page.

They drove the point home in practice, in games, as Meadowdale prepared for its fifth consecutive state tournament.

“One team, one heart, one mission,” said Dennis Hopkins, the Meadowdale coach. “And they finished it.”

It was mission accomplished for the Mavericks, who came out slugging — as they have all year — and defeated Enumclaw 10-0 in the 3A state title game to claim the first championship in the softball program’s history.

“The four seniors who had been here all four years had won a district title as freshmen, then won the district title as seniors,” Hopkins said. “We won four league championships their four years here. We lost a total of five league games their entire four seasons. They came in telling all the young girls, ‘We want to finish on top. Help us get there.’”

And they did just that. Sophomore transfer Lauren Wallace, who came to Meadowdale from Kamiak earlier this year, hit a three-run home run to cap a six-run first inning and junior Emma Helm went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and four RBI to help lead Meadowdale (24-3) to a state championship Saturday afternoon at the Regional Athletic Complex in Lacey.

“I can’t believe it. I really just don’t have words right now,” Helm said. “… That’s ours and we get to put it in our school and we get a plaque on our gym wall. That’s what we’ve been wanting.”

“It was amazing. I’m actually shaking right now,” Wallace added. “It’s so exciting. I was so happy that I was able to be a part of this team this year since I’m new. The very first game I ever played with them I felt accepted and this is just amazing.”

It was Helm who finished the game for the Mavericks. Helm hit an RBI double with two outs in the sixth inning to score Julia Reuble and give Meadowdale a 10-run advantage, which ended the game because of the mercy rule.

Helm’s shot to deep left field found the grass and Reuble took off for home.

“Julia was going,” Hopkins said. “(I knew it) all the way and she knew it as soon as it dropped. She wasn’t going to slow down until she got there.”

Reuble crossed home and Helm, who was trying to process all that had just happened, took off from second base to join in the celebration.

“I thought (the outfielder) was going to catch it, really,” Helm said. “I wasn’t thinking. I just ran and then I saw that and was like, ‘Go Julia!’ I even went back to the base because I didn’t know if it was over or not like, ‘What do I do?’”

Meadowdale doubled the number of runs Enumclaw (21-2) had previously given up in its previous three games at the 3A state tournament.

“They came out attacking and wanting to go at us,” Enumclaw coach Mike Eckhart said. “They did what they were supposed to do.

“We were just going to go at them and see what they had and they came out and won today.”

“We knew we had to go in there and we had to be strong and play our game like we have been all season,” Helm said. “We haven’t been scared of anyone. We’ve just gone in there … and believed in each other and just had the confidence and I think that’s what we did today.”

Both of Meadowdale’s games on Saturday — including a 12-2 victory over Marysville Pilchuck in a morning semifinal — were by 10 runs. The Mavericks hit nine home runs in the state tournament to finish with 47 this season.

Helm led the team with 14, followed by Samantha Gregoryk (11) and Wallace (9).

“If Emma doesn’t hit one, Lauren’s going to hit one. Our lineup is a tough lineup to pitch to,” Hopkins said. “Other coaches go, ‘I don’t like pitching to your lineup. It’s just too tough.’ There’s no break. You don’t get to breathe at any time.”

Lauren Dent was the winning pitcher for all four games in the state tournament. The junior outdueled Enumclaw star senior Quinn Breidenbach, who has signed with the University of Massachusetts, allowing no runs and just three hits in the game.

“To have that composure, as a junior, is tough,” Hopkins said. “Going up against these bigger-name pitchers is tough. To shut them down says a lot about yourself.”

“I’m so proud of her,” said Helm, Meadowdale’s catcher. “… This is the best thing ever but I think she can be so much better. This is so much fun. We’ve just grown as a pair.”

Meadowdale has been to the past five state tournaments and had finished as high as third twice. The state championship capped a season that saw the Mavericks average 12 runs per game as they set their sites on Lacey early on.

Saturday night it was time to celebrate for the Mavericks and their seniors — Reuble, Gregoryk, Madison Buchea and Kaitlyn Webster. And then go to prom.

“We were trying to reach that goal and we were really just excited for today,” Wallace said. “I’m so proud of each and every one of the girls. We all had a part. … We all believed it. Every single one of us. We all have a part to play and I think we all were very confident in ourselves. We all just knew what we’re capable of.”

At Regional Athletics Complex

WP: Lauren Dent. LP: Quinn Breidenbach. Individual highlights: Enumclaw—Emma Gunter (2B); Hailey Roberts (2B). Meadowdale—Lauren Wallace (2-3, HR, 3 RBI); Emma Helm (3-4, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R); Kaylee Williams (2-3, 2 R). Records—Enumclaw 21-2. Meadowdale 24-3.