3A SOFTBALL: GSHL teams fall at state

Prairie’s Chantal Paradis (7) was tagged out on this play by Mount Rainer’s Amanda Hopkins, but in the Falcons’ next game against Lynnwood, Paradis scored the only run to keep the team’s season alive. (Zachary Kaufman/The Columbian)

TACOMA — State championship dreams lasted just a few hours for the Clark County teams at the Class 3A state softball tournament Friday.

All hope was lost in the afternoon quarterfinals.

Union, Prairie, and Columbia River all fell in the elite eight, dropping into the consolation brackets. By the end of the day, Union and Prairie earned a chance to play today for a trophy, while Columbia River's season came to an end.

Union's bats fell quiet in a 1-0 loss to Bainbridge in a quarterfinal, while Columbia River and Prairie failed to hold on to leads in their championship bracket games.

Holy Names rallied from a two-run deficit for a 6-3 victory over River, and Mount Rainier scored a run in the seventh to force extra innings, then scored four times in the ninth for a 6-2 decision.

"Our goal when we came here was to get a trophy," Union coach Alex Perry said after the quarterfinal loss. "I told them to get rid of this one and that the goal was still in sight."

"Now we need a Vancouver team to pull a third and fourth place," added Prairie coach Dawn Rowe, following her team's quarterfinal loss.

The Titans and Falcons just might do that, too.

And if it does happen, they will face each other in that trophy game. But first, both teams will have to win twice today, with games at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The third-place game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at the South End Recreation Area.

The Titans, who came into the tournament as the 3A Greater St. Helens League, district, and bi-district champions, opened with a 2-0 victory over Lynnwood.

Mariah Dawson threw a one-hitter and struck out 16, and Katie Hertenstein hit an inside-the-park home run.

But the Titans could manage just two hits against Bainbridge pitcher Lindsay Willman in the quarters.

Union then saved its season with a 17-hit attack and a 10-0 win over Juanita of Kirkland in a consolation game.

Kadi Henderson had three hits, including a home run, and drove in four runs. Lindsay Sasse had three hits and drove in three runs for the Titans.

"We wanted to play (today)," Perry said. "That's the team we've been all year. Seventeen hits. Holy cow, you can't beat that."

The Falcons, who finished third in the GSHL, made it to the elite eight at state with a 6-2 win over North Central of Spokane. Chelsea Creech drove in two runs for the Falcons, who trailed 2-0 early on but scored four runs in the fourth to take command.

Prairie's run in the championship bracket ended with a frustrating loss to Mount Rainier of Des Moines, 6-2 in nine innings. The Rams tied the game in the seventh inning to force extra innings, then scored four in the ninth to put the game out of reach.

The Falcons were not done, though. Against Lynnwood in the consolation bracket, they made their only hit count, extending their season one more day. Chantel Paradis hit a leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh inning, and scored on a one-out wild pitch.

Prairie pitcher Creech kept Lynnwood quiet with 11 strikeouts in a three-hitter.

"I had a lot of confidence coming into the game," Creech said. "Most of my pitches were working."

Rowe said she was pleased with the way her team bounced back from the quarterfinal loss.

"To play games back to back was difficult, It took a lot of heart."

The Chieftains got a two-run home run from Jordyn Hutchinson and solid pitching from Laura Luther to beat West Seattle 4-2 in the opening round.

Hutchinson drove in three runs in the game, and Luther struck out nine in her three-hitter.

The Chieftains, who finished second in the 3A GSHL, had thoughts of making it to the semifinals, up by two runs before falling 6-3 to Holy Names of Seattle. Luther hit a two-run homer for the Chieftains.

Columbia River's quest to make it to Saturday came to an end in the final inning of its consolation game. Shadle Park of Spokane scored the winning run on a squeeze bunt in the seventh inning for a 5-4 decision.

Luther hit her second home run of the day to tie the game in the top of the seventh. Brittany Huett had two of the Chieftains' seven hits.

"We didn't quite make it over the hump," River coach Dana Blair said. "But it was one day, one game. We're not going to let this define our season."

Union and Prairie hope to define their seasons with a trophy game today.