3A softball: Prairie will gladly walk to state

SPANAWAY — The Prairie softball team is headed back to state, but the Falcons got there by a very unexpected route.

Everything was lined up for the Falcons in their winner-to-state game Saturday against Peninsula of Gig Harbor at the Class 3A bi-district tournament. Prairie had the bases loaded with no outs in the fifth inning of a tied game with its biggest hitter, Bridget Guiney, at the plate.

After Guiney lashed a loud foul ball down the left-field line, Peninsula huddled around the pitcher’s circle. What the Seahawks did next stunned Guiney.

“They were huddling and I heard the pitcher say ‘I don’t want to walk her,’ ” Guiney said after Prairie’s 7-5 win. “And I was like ‘Whoa.’ “

And that’s exactly what the Seahawks did. They walked Guiney intentionally, forcing in the go-ahead run.

“I’ve never seen that before,” Prairie coach Ari Van Horn said. “Not in a tied game. I can remember one game when my dad (Bob Van Horn) was coaching at Mountain View and he walked a batter with the bases loaded. But that was an 8-0 game, trying to prevent a grand slam to get them back in the game. Not a tied game.

“That’s the ultimate compliment for a hitter.”

Guiney was surprised, but not concerned. That’s the ultimate compliment for her teammates.

“I wanted to hit,” Guiney said. “Any hitter would in that situation. But I had confidence in the girls behind me that they could make them pay.”

After taking a 3-2 lead on Guiney’s walk, Taylor Ramey, who tied the game in the fourth with a two-run single, singled home another run. Maddie Williams walked, unintentionally, and Chloe Blehm singled to make it 6-2.

“That’s one thing we worked on in practice all week, learning to play for the girl next to you,” Van Horn said. “We did drills that were fun, built teamwork and reminded the kids why they play this game. I think that showed today.”

After Peninsula rallied for three runs in the top of the sixth, Josey Lesmeister came in relief to stop the rally and preserve the win.

Lesmeister went the distance in Prairie’s 4-3 win over North Thurston of Lacey in the fifth-place game.

In that game, another string of hits led to a three-run sixth inning that helped Prairie rally for the win.

Irene McGuire went 5 for 8 in the final two games of the day, and Baliee Blech was 4 for 7.

The day started with a 15-0 rout of Lincoln of Tacoma in a loser-out game. And two tight wins over Peninsula and North Thurston have the Falcons walking confidently to the 3A state tournament next weekend in Lacey.

“We finished fourth at state last year, second the year before,” Guiney said. “And we’re going back for more this year, and it feels great.”

PRAIRIE 7, PENINSULA 5

Peninsula 010 103 0–5 8 1

Prairie 000 241 x–7 10 2

Peninsula

Pitching — P. Palagyi 5 IP, 6 runs, 6 K, loss; L. Fuller 1 IP, 1 run, 1K; Highlights — L. Fuller 1-4, R. Harper 2-2, 2 2B, 2 runs; S. Bottiger 2-3, run; K. Ritchie 2-3, 2B, 2 runs, 2 RBI; H. Patterson, RBI; M. Ross 1-3, J. Lemoine RBI

Prairie

Pitching — Maddie Williams 5 IP, 5 runs, 1 K, win; Josey Lesmiester 2 IP, 0 runs, 1 K.

Highlights — Irene McGuire 3-4, 2B, 2 runs; Jamie Phares 1-4, 3B, run, RBI; Bailee Blech 2-4, 2B, 2 runs; Bridget Guiney 1-1, run, RBI; Taylor Ramey 2-4, 3 RBI; Maddie Williams, RBI; Chloe Blehm 1-3, RBI

PRAIRIE 4, NORTH THURSTON 0

N. Thurston 200 010 0–3 5 1

Prairie 000 103 x–4 7 0

North Thurston

Pitching — C. Davis 2 IP, 0 R, 2 K; M. Hughness 4 IP, 4 runs, 3 K, loss. Highlights — A. Kautz run; A. Dahmen run; D. Greend 1-1, HR, 2 RBI; C Davis 1-2; M. Haughness RBI; D. Hickman 1-3; T. Lermer 1-3; A. Skillingstad 1-3.

Prairie

Pitching — Josey Lesmeister 7 IP, 3 runs, 5K, win. Highlights — Irene McGuire 2-4; Bailee Blech 2-3; Riley Monn 2 runs; Bridget Guiney 1-2, 2B, run, RBI; Taylor Ramey RBI; Tori Roush 1-3, 2B, RBI; Chloe Blehm 1-3.