“It means the world. I’m so proud of this team,” O’Neill said. “We pulled through the middle of the season, and then beat Battle Ground twice to get the league and district.”
The Papermakers had to overcome a coaching change in April.
“We hit a really rough part in the middle of the season, but then we set goals,” Neely said. “We’ve already accomplished two of them. That says a lot about this team. We wanted it more than anyone else out here, and I really think it showed.”
Those goals: League and district championships. The district title also assured that trip to state.
Battle Ground bounced back from that loss and also made it to state with a 4-3 victory over Union in the second-place game. Danyelle Joli hit a two-out, walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh for the Tigers.
O’Neill and Neely wasted no time in the championship game. O’Neill led off the bottom of the first with a single, then raced to second when the outfielder misplayed the ball. O’Neill then came home on Neely’s double to make it 1-0.
“Honestly, if I hit it to an outfielder, the second they make a mistake or turn their head, I’m gone,” O’Neill said, adding that will be her philosophy until “they throw me out.”
Neely also put pressure on the Battle Ground defense when she noticed third base was left undefended. She stole third, and the throw went into left field, allowing Neely to waltz home for a 2-0 lead.
“It’s the little things,” Neely said. “When you capitalize on the little things, they become big things.”
That was plenty run support for Schroeder, who at one point retired 12 consecutive Tigers. Her squeeze bunt made it 3-0 in the sixth inning.
Union reached the second-place game with a 10-1 win over Mountain View on the other field. Then Union and Battle Ground played their third one-run game of the week — all Battle Ground wins.
Morgan Spieth and Alexis Kron opened the top of the seventh with hits — Kron just missing a home run when the ball hit the top of the fence — and would come home to tie the game at 3 on a fielder’s choice and error.
The Tigers got two on with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, setting it up for Joli.
“I have to get a hit. I have to get a hit,” Joli recalled. “I made contact with the ball. I saw it go over (the infielder’s) head, I ran to first then looked back.”
The Titans made a play at the plate, but Hayley Buck made it home.
“When the umpire called safe, I don’t even have words to describe how good I felt,” Joli said. “Yes! We’re going to state two years in a row.”
