Freshman steps in for Warriors in postseason

Despite missing its starting pitcher, Edmonds-Woodway didn’t fold at the 4A District 1 softball tournament.

Freshman pitcher Samone Jackson performed well in place of junior Katelynn Lafferty. The Warriors battled Arlington and Kamiak hard but ultimately lost both games May 15 at Sky River Park in Monroe.

“I think we played to pretty much the best of our abilities,” Edmonds-Woodway coach Mike Venable said.

Edmonds-Woodway fell 6-0 to Wesco North Division champion Arlington in a first-round game. The game was scoreless through four innings when the Eagles scored six runs in the fifth. The Warriors then dropped a 5-2 loser-out game to Wesco 4A South Division rival Kamiak. Edmonds-Woodway had a 1-0 lead through the fourth inning.

“Samone kept us in both games,” Venable said. “That was good to see, especially from a freshman.”

Regular starting pitcher Lafferty suffered a deep thigh bruise against Wesco 4A South Division rival Jackson on May 9. She was advised by her doctor to take a week off, which unfortunately meant that she was unavailable for the district tournament. Lafferty also hit cleanup and was one of the team’s top hitters.

Jackson, the starting shortstop, showed Venable that he has a more than capable backup for next season.

“I want to keep (Jackson) at shortstop as much as I can,” Venable said. “It is good to know that if Katelynn has an off-day, we can bring Samone in to help us.”

The Warriors graduate only two seniors – Sydney Daniel and Michelle Rumpel. Daniel hit .400 as the leadoff hitter and also was a solid first baseman. Rumpel missed almost the entire year due to an injury but did play in a few games. Rumpel’s absence meant that other girls had more playing time than expected.

The Warriors will be one of the more experienced teams in the league next year.

“The bulk of the girls will be seniors,” Venable said.