The Orcas Island fast-pitch softball team traveled to Yakima for the State 2B softball tournament the weekend of May 23-24. “”We were excited to have reached the State Tournament, knowing we were one of only sixteen teams in the 2B division still playing,” said coach Scott Harris. The team won one game and dropped two in the double-elimination tournament.
The Lady Vikings opened against the number-one seed Selkirk Rangers, who came into the tournament with a 20-1 record. Orcas struggled in the first inning and gave up four runs. After settling in, the Vikings allowed only three more runs over six innings. The Orcas defense stepped up and held the powerful team at bay. Orcas had runners on base throughout the game but were unable to produce a run. The Vikings dropped the game 7-0. “Our girls played a tough team and held their own. We definitely earned respect for our play,” said coach Harris.
“Game two was a game for the ages,” said coach Harris. Orcas faced the Soap Lake Eagles of Central Washington in a win-or-go- home contest. Soap Lake opened up the scoring with three runs in the top of the second inning. The Eagles extended their lead to five runs in the fourth inning. In the bottom of the sixth inning, the pressure the Vikings were putting on Soap Lake finally burst.
Senior Cara Peacock started things off with a single and then stole second and third bases. Renae Harvey stepped up to the plate and hit a single that scored Peacock. Lanie Padbury hit a single and then stole second. Bobbi Lowry came up with a big single to score Padbury, bringing the Vikings within three runs of Soap Lake. The Viking defense held strong in top of the seventh. Orcas had one last inning to try and keep their season alive. Newcomer Allison O’Toole hit a single to open the inning. O’Toole then stole second base. Sydney Harris hit a hard ground ball to move O’Toole over to third base. Peacock ripped a single that scored O’Toole. The Lady Vikings trailed by two runs with the season on the line.
Peacock added to her season record 32 stolen bases by stealing second base. Power hitting senior Harvey stepped up to the plate. With the pressure of her high school softball career about to end, Harvey smashed a home run that scored two runs to tie the game 5-5.
The game went into extra innings. The fan noise swelled as the pressure and significance of the game poured out from the cheering crowd. The Viking defense held strong throughout the top of the eighth inning behind the pitching of Lowry and two game-saving catches by freshman outfielder Lindsay Anderson.
The Lady Vikings came up to bat and gave up two quick outs. It was the bottom of the eighth inning and two outs. Sophomore O’Toole made a check-swing single but beat the throw to first to get on base. O’Toole stole second, putting the winning run in scoring position. Harris got a base-on-balls, keeping the hopes alive and adding to the pressure on the Soap Lake defense. O’Toole stole third base putting the winning run 60 feet away from home. Peacock stepped to the plate, determined to extend the season. The first pitch was a ball outside. The second pitch was right down the middle. Peacock stepped into it and crushed a game winning double. “The place went crazy as everyone in the park celebrated the amazing come from behind win by the Orcas Island Vikings,” said Harris.
The win propelled Orcas into a game with Northwest League rivals, the Concrete Lions. Freshman Adria Garcia pitched five strong innings. Even with the valiant effort, the Lady Vikings dropped the game 4-1. “We closed the tournament out with a great game,” said coach Harris. “We battled to the end.”
