Prairie softball finishes fourth at 3A state tournament

LACEY — The Prairie softball team danced its way to fourth place at the Class 3A state tournament, and the only real sadness comes from the fact that the music has stopped on a memorable 2015 season.

The Falcons’ season ended with a frustrating 13-9 loss to Meadowdale of Lynnwood in the third-place game Saturday. But that disappointment could not erase the elation of another walk-off home run that earned Prairie a trophy for a third consecutive year.

“My most memorable moment of this season will be that dance-off the girls had before the Kelso game,” coach Ari Van Horn said of her team’s unusual pre-game warmup. “We had just been shut down in that tough semifinal loss (to Juanita of Kirkland) and we were about to play a Kelso team that had kicked our butts three times this year. But I could tell after that dance-off that the girls were not going to let Kelso send them home.”

After Prairie lost Juanita 8-0 on a two-hit shutout Lisa Nelson, Prairie met league-rival Kelso in a loser-out game. The Falcons were down 7-6 in the bottom of the seventh when Taylor Ramey hit a game-winning two-run home run.

“I was looking for base hit, to just come through for my teammates,” Ramey said. “I was not expecting a home run, but I guess that’ll work.”

There was a moment of uncertainty about whether the ball went over the fence as Kelso left fielder Saydie Harris crashed into it, or if the ball short-hopped the fence for a double. The umpire’s home run signal sent the Falcons into celebration with an 8-7 victory.

“I thought I hit it pretty good,” Ramey said. “I was just worried about Saydie. She’s such a great athlete, I was worried she would dive over the fence and catch it. I was just praying she wouldn’t.”

The home run came one day after Jamie Phares hit a walk-off three-run homer in the quarterfinals to beat Meadowdale.