Based on seeding, it was the most lopsided matchup in the Class 3A West Central/Southwest Bi-District tournament: No. 16 Central Kitsap, with a 6-14 regular season record, against No. 1 Timberline, which won the South Sound Conference title with a 16-2 mark.
When the two teams met May 2, Timberline won 11-0. On Thursday at the RAC in Lacey, Central Kitsap scored a major upset, winning 7-5 to advance to the quarterfinal round. The Cougars used the momentum to earn a lopsided 14-3 victory over No. 9 Heritage, punching their ticket to the state tournament for the first time since 2015.
"I am so proud of the girls for their perseverance throughout this season," Central Kitsap head coach Courtney Cotter said. "We have had some highs and some lows, but to come out and play the way we did definitely proved that hard work pays off.
Against Timberline, Central Kitsap rallied from a 5-0 deficit, scoring four runs in the fifth, tying it with a run in the sixth and pushing two runs home in the seventh. Ava Day went 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored; Scarlett Mabe went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored; Kylee Peterson and Eva Thompson both walked three times and Savannah Paulson added a double and pitched four innings of scoreless relief, allowing just two hits while striking out three.
Against Heritage, the Cougars exploded for five runs in the second inning, one run in the third and seven runs in the fourth. Central Kitsap put a run across in the fifth, helping put the mercy rule in effect after five innings. Day went 3-for-4 with a home run, three runs and a stolen base; Mabe reached base three times and scored three runs; Peterson reached base three times; Brooklyn Gordon walked twice and scored two runs; Kai Camacho had a hit and two runs scored. Paulson pitched five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts.
"I am so excited for this opportunity and for the girls to experience what going to state actually feels like," Cotter said.
With a top-four district finish guaranteed, the Cougars will face No. 4 Prairie on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at the RAC in the semifinals.
Bainbridge reaches state quarterfinals with OT win
Finley Reynolds scored the game-winning goal in injury time as Bainbridge's boys soccer team won its 3A state opener Thursday against No. 9 Mount Vernon, 3-2, at Shoreline Stadium. Chris Fowler and Abe O'Connell also scored goals for No. 8 Bainbridge (17-3).
Thursday's win was the 12th victory in a row and fifth overall playoff win for the Spartans (18-3), who will take on No. 17 Auburn Mountainview on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the quarterfinals. Auburn Mountainview topped No. 1 Shorewood 3-2 in the first round. leaving No. 2 Central Kitsap as the top remaining seed in the tournament. The Cougars host No. 15 Ballard on Friday at 7 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Central Kitsap softball stuns top seed, earns state berth; Bainbridge soccer advances
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