The Lynnwood softball team made the most of its first-ever appearance at the Class 3A state fastpitch tournament.
The Royals went 1-2, bouncing back from a 2-0 loss to Union in a first-round game to beat Kennedy 4-0. Lynnwood then lost to Prairie 1-0 and was eliminated from the tournament.
“Obviously, we would have liked to have gone a little further,” said first-year coach Matt Rockne. “One win was a nice step forward. It was a lot of fun down there.”
The Royals (21-7) turned it around in the second game to earn their first-ever state victory and knocked out two-time defending state champion Kennedy on the strength of Julia Nealer’s one-hitter.
Lynnwood battled some nervousness in the first game and made a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes in the field. The Royals also had some opportunities to score early but were unable to push across any runs.
But as the team has done all year, Lynnwood regrouped and put together a strong effort against the Lancers. Nealer again led the way for the Royals.
“She was huge,” Rockne said. “Her stats are up there with anybody in the state. Her leadership was great. She didn’t get down. If we were coming off a loss, she picked up her intensity and everybody followed that.
“Everybody wanted to do well and support her.”
Nealer pitched every single inning for Lynnwood this season.
“She was great all year,” Rockne said. “It was the same old Julia at the state tournament too.”
Another key player who was instrumental in the Royals’ success was sophomore catcher Kelsey Parker.
“Those two (Nealer and Parker) worked together so well,” Rockne said.
Nealer was backed up by a stellar defense that allowed only 17 runs in 28 games.
“A lot of that is Julia and a lot of that is Julia’s confidence in her defense,” Rockne said.
Nealer, a senior, will be difficult to replace next year and her role likely will be filled by more than one pitcher.
“It won’t be a one pitcher dominated team,” Rockne said.
Also graduating are Jerrica Kang and Mariah Mitchell. Kang is a first-team, all-league outfielder, while Mitchell made significant progress in her four years with the program. When Mitchell turned out for the team, she did not have any softball experience.
The rest of the team will be back and expectations will be higher after this season, which Rockne welcomes.
“I relish that,” he said. “It’s good to have high expectations.”
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