With high hopes deflated at the Class 2A State Tournament, the Wolves fastpitch team was reminded they are still among the best.
Sequim faced eventual state champions the Selah Vikings on their home turf in the opening round of the Class 2A Fastpitch state tournament on May 24.
Selah won 10-4 and Sequim faced the Sedro Woolley Cubs (who took fourth in state) in the consolation but lost 5-4.
Coach Mike McFarlen said he reminded his team after their second defeat “48 teams didn’t make state. There are 64 teams and you are one of the best.”
Talking to the Gazette, McFarlen said the girls were as good as anybody there.
“It just wasn’t our day,” he said.
The Wolves went in undefeated to the West Central Districts 3 tournament before losing their first game to the Sumner Spartans 6-4 but went on to take the fifth seed to state, beating Olympic League opponents Kingston and Olympic.
McFarlen said state could have played out differently if they’d won that first districts game.
“It’s all about the draw,” he said.
“If we win districts, we open (state) against Olympic.”
Facing Selah, center fielder Rylleigh Zbaraschuk set the tone early, hitting a two-run home run, bringing in Hannah Grubb. But after the first inning, Sequim wouldn’t round the diamonds again until the seventh inning.
Pitcher Makayla Bentz faced early struggles in the bottom of the first before being pulled for Melissa Lewis.
Throughout, the Vikings didn’t overpower Sequim. They capitalized mostly on RBI singles.
Sequim tried to rally in the seventh with runs by Bentz and Bailey Rhodefer and Alexas Besand knocking in an RBI but the game was out of reach with Selah winning 10-4.
Four over the fence
Sequim was hitting hard for redemption against Sedro Woolley later in the day.
They answered most of the Cubs’ runs with their own.
Shelby Lott slammed in the first run for the Wolves with a solo home run in the second inning.
MaryLu Clift hit another solo shot in the fourth inning to tie the game at 2-2.
But throughout the game, McFarlen said Sequim was hitting the balls hard, they just weren’t falling.
“It’s not like we weren’t hitting. It’s just that when we hit the ball we hit it right at people,” he said.
“Sedro Woolley made some unbelievable plays. Nothing would drop.”
With the game on the line, Grubb and Rhodefer hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh with two outs. But the their last inning push came just a little too late as Sequim lost 5-4.
McFarlen said everyone on the team was a little disappointed following the losses.
“We ran into a couple of buzz saws,” he said. “But the girls coming back know they get another shot. Our pitching is back. We have a couple of big shoes to fill, but we’ll be fine. We’ll be ready to go.”
