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Hell just froze over. Pigs can now fly. The million-to-one shot
came rolling in on a flatbed truck. A team from Eastern Washington
won the state 4A softball crown.
The Lady Titans of University (29-2) became the first large classification
team east of the Cascades to win a Washington state softball championship
when they defeated perennial power Prairie of Vancouver, 3-0, in
the title match Saturday night at Tacoma's south end recreation
area complex.
"It's nice to be the first," said U-Hi Vice Principal
and Athletic Director Ken VanSickle. "It might be the only
championship that's never been to Eastern Washington."
That can't be said anymore.
University High School won its first state softball trophy and
became the last team from the eastern region to trophy since Rogers
in 1992, outscoring opponents 20-3 in four games, including wins
over tournament favorite Eastlake, 4-1, and an ensuing 10-1 onslaught
of Wilson that advanced U-Hi into Saturday's semifinals.
There, they faced Skyview and starting U-Hi pitcher Ashley Maier
struck out seven in seven innings to win her third game of the tournament,
3-1. The 5-foot-2 right-hander worked out of bases-loaded jambs
in both the sixth and seventh innings en route to a bracket-clinching
victory.
"I enjoy the pressure, that's one of the main reasons I became
a pitcher," Maier said. "I remember one of my pitching
coaches telling me you're not a good pitcher until you can have
the bases loaded and get out of the inning without anyone scoring.
"So, when I got out of it both times that gave me a little
more confidence. As soon as we got that last out it was a huge relief
and amazement that we'd done something that no U-Hi team had ever
done before."
In eight straight years of state appearances, including the first
three coached by VanSickle, U-Hi teams have been teased with a trophy,
but placing was fifth twice. But this season, current head coach
Jon Schuh was expecting his fourth team to bring home some hardware.
He did not, however, fathom they would bring home home plate. As
part of University championship they were awarded the dish U-Hi
runners crossed 20 times in the tournament. It was also a rewarding
spot for Titan hurlers to throw over.
"Ashley never changed her approach," Schuh said. "She
was focused the whole time, she didn't get nervous and her body
language just said 'I'm going to do this.'"
Maier (17-1) thrived, throwing three strong innings of shutout
ball in the championship game against Prairie (24-6), before she
began to tire. The 24 consecutive innings of work had taken a toll
on the right-hander and was taken out of the game after the third
inning.
"I definitely was exhausted," Maier admitted.
Destiny Gordon (11-1) relieved Maier and continued to sit batters
down in order, allowing just two hits en route to a shut out victory.
"When (Coach Schuh) told me I was going in the next inning
I was a little nervous but I was ready," said Gordon, who shared
GSL MVP honors with Maier this year. "I was very excited."
U-Hi won the title with scalding 33 hits and 20 runs; committing
just three errors on defense; and Titan hurlers allowed just three
runs on 25 hits in four games.
"In the past hitting seemed to be our weakness at state,"
Maier said of previous teams that went 1-2 and 0-2 in the tournament.
"I was really excited that we hit as well as we did.
"I surprised myself," she continued. "I just went
over there with the goal that I needed to step it up and be the
best that I can for our team. They played great defense behind me
and the fact that they only scored three runs . . . I was pretty
excited."
Holding opponents to a minimum of runs was no new feat to this
Titans team that lost two one-run games all season, producing a
22-game winning streak in between a 1-0 loss to East Valley High
School to start the season, and a 3-2 loss to Pasco in nine innings
at regionals. And, at the state tournament, things were no different.
East Valley also was involved in close games at state. The Lady
Knights (1-2 at the tournament) lost its first game to Auburn-Riverside,
1-0; defeated South Kitsap, 2-1; and was eventually eliminated by
Enumclaw, 7-6.
After losing it's second game at regionals to a Pasco team that
placed third at state, University refocused and never trailed in
Tacoma.
They also scored first in all four games, and made good on opponents
blunders in wins over Skyview and Wilson, and executed on crucial
squeeze bunt situations against Prairie.
"I knew it was a special team on the first day when we divided
teams," Schuh said of this year's squad that hailed seven first
team players. "Once we got to the state tournament I said we've
either got to put up or shut up."
But Schuh said he's never thought about playing in the state championship
game until his team owned a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning against
Skyview. Again, with a lead in the final, he started thinking of
the unimaginable feat of becoming state champions.
"In the seventh inning that feeling started happening again,"
he said. "There's not a lot of people that can say they played
in a championship game; and for these girls to say they played for
a state championship team they'll always be able to say that."
 The
Titans are the first Eastern Washington team to win a large school
softball championship since the tournament started in the 1980s,
beginning with slow pitch and continuing with fast pitch softball's
conception in 1992.
Maier started struggling to get pitches past Falcons hitters in
the third inning, and head coach Jon Schuh knew bringing in Gordon
was a bold move, but the right one.
"If we lose the game then I get second guessed forever,"
he said. "But (Destiny's) been a quality pitcher for us all
year and she can do this."
In an insurance move, the Titans coaching staff had the right-hander
up throwing each inning in the bullpen. And she was ready to pitch
after last throwing a four inning, 5-0, win over East Valley in
the regional consolation final.
Gordon picked up where Maier left off, allowing just two hits in
four shutout innings to get the championship game win.
"I thought we we're going to do well, but taking the whole
thing, I didn't see that one coming," she said. "After
Jessica Gordon made that double play I jumped in the air and got
ready to cry with tears of joy."
University broke the game open in the fifth inning, manufactured
runs beginning with Jessica Keeton and Tessa Freeman each singling.
Keeton's courtesy runner, Jenny Hartzell, scored the Titans first
run on a Nikki Skaggs sacrifice bunt that was misplayed by Prairie.
Leadoff hitter Heidi Bunkowske laid down a suicide squeeze bunt
to score Freeman to give U-Hi a 2-0 lead. Then in the sixth Christine
Keeton singled in Molly Owen who led off the inning with a hit ahead
of and Angie Boardman.
Needing three runs to tie, Prairie led off the seventh inning with
a single; the next hitter popped out to catcher Jessica Keeton;
and the game ended on a bang-bang double play on a line out to shortstop
Jessica Gordon, who then threw to first to double off the runner,
and seal University's first softball title and the school's first
state championship since the 1999 when the boys track and field
team won.
"It kind of hit us when we were over there, we kind of realized
how special this was," said Jessica Gordon, a three-sport standout
who will play softball at Whitworth next year. "We came into
this tournament knowing we could do something special this year.
We came in and played like we have all year with solid defense and
came up with some key hits and our pitching was amazing - it keep
us in every game - and they always gave us a chance to win."
Gordon played flawless defense in 30 games this year, committing
no fielding errors, and batted .444. Her efforts were indicative
of the team overall.
"It was definitely the best way I could imagine to end my senior
year," added Maier, who will pitch next year at Eastern New
Mexico University. "We earned the east side a little respect."
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