Skyview softball tops Battle Ground to reach 4A state semifinals

SPOKANE – Facing a team for the third time can be a challenge.

Skyview softball pitcher Maddie Milhorn turned it into an advantage.

Skyview is headed to the Class 4A state semifinals for the first time since 2011. The Storm got there by beating 4A Greater St. Helens League rival Battle Ground 2-1 in the quarterfinals.

Milhorn had faced Battle Ground’s potent lineup twice, beating the Tigers 6-2 in the season opener and 2-0 on April 29.

Friday, the freshman again cooled off a team that scored 46 runs in three bi-district tournament games last week. Milhorn allowed four hits, struck out 12 and walked one.

“I had a plan,” Milhorn said. “I knew all the batters, what they’re good at and not good at. I think I did well using their weaknesses.”

Milhorn, who has dealt with some minor arm issues late in the season, looked 100 percent. She struck out the side in the fifth inning and escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the sixth with two strikeouts.

“The adrenaline kicked in and I was good,” Milhorn said.

“She’s had to throw a lot of innings this year,” Skyview coach Kim Anthony said. “I think she knows it’s just one more day, then I can rest.”

Skyview (20-1) was both good and lucky. The Storm tied the game 1-1 in the second inning when a fly ball was dropped with two outs.

Skyview scored the winning run in the sixth, also with two outs, when an infield popup was dropped.

Those two errors were tough luck for Battle Ground pitcher Rylee Rehbein, who allowed five hits and struck out seven.

“Rylee is such a good pitcher,” Anthony said. “She has a lot of junk, so you can get in your own head sometimes. They just kept plugging away and trying to have the next quality at bat.”

No. 3 seeded Skyview will face No. 10 Kamiakin or No. 2 Jackson in the semifinals on Saturday. But the ultimate goal is to join the 2001 Storm team as state champions.

“I came here freshman year and we didn’t place,” Skyview catcher Lauren Johnson said. “It’s great to come off as senior and see how far we’ve gotten. Hopefully we’ll go all the way.”

Skyview and Battle Ground took different paths to reach the quarterfinals.

Skyview cruised to a 9-1 win over Inglemoor in the first round. The Storm scored in all but one inning, knocking 16 hits. Johnson hit a two-run homer while Averie Sievers and Maddi Scull each had three hits.

Battle Ground rallied past Mount Si, 4-2, thanks to clutch hitting by Liv Gruenberg. Trailing 2-1 in the fifth, Gruenberg knocked a three RBI double off the centerfield fence. She also hit a solo home run in the fourth.

That was enough for Rehbein, who allowed just one hit and struck out 13.

Battle Ground, the No. 6 seed, bounced back from its quarterfinal loss to beat Olympia 5-3 and keep its hopes for a top-four finish alive.

Rehbein went 3 for 4, including a triple and a solo home run, which put the Tigers up 5-1 in the seventh.

Gruenberg went 1 for 4 with an RBI double. She has driven in six of the Tigers’ 10 runs in the state tournament.

SKYVIEW 2, BATTLE GROUND 1

Battle Ground 100 000 0—1 4 2

Skyview 010 001 x—2 5 0

Battle Ground

Pitching – Rylee Rehbein 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 7 K, 2 BB. Highlights – Rylee Rehbein 1-3; Liv Gruenberg 1-3, 3B, RBI; Cady Gruenberg 1-2; Candice Adams 1-3.

Skyview

Pitching – Maddie Milhorn 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 12 K, 1 BB. Highlights – Lauren Johnson 1-2; Kya Jenkins 1-3; Maddie Milhorn 1-3, R; Maddie Scull 2-3, 2B.

BATTLE GROUND 5, OLYMPIA 3

Battle Ground 002 110 1—5 8 1

Olympia 001 000 2—3 7 1

Battle Ground

Pitching – Cady Gruenberg 7 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 K, 3 BB. Highlights – Rylee Rehbein 3-4, 3 R, RBI, HR, 3B; Emma Elliott 1-4, RBI; Kelly Monaghan 1-3, Rl Haylee Newton 1-3, RBI, 2B; Hailey Ferguson 1-3, R.

SKYVIEW 9, INGLEMOOR 1

Inglemoor 000 000 1—1 6 1

Skyview 121 302 x—9 16 2

Skyview

Pitching – Maddie Milhorn 5.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 10 K, 0 BB; Reese Perdue 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 K, 0 BB. Highlights – Averie Sievers 3-4, 2 R, RBI, SB; Lauren Johnson 2-3, R, 2 RBI, HR; Kya Jenkins 2-3, 2 R, RBI, SB; Addison Harmier 2-2; Maddie Milhorn 1-4; Maddi Scull 3-3, 2 R, 2 RBI; Skylar Groesbeck 2-3, RBI, SB; Angela Olsen 1-2, R, RBI.

BATTLE GROUND 4, MOUNT SI 2

Mount Si 000 020 0—2 1 1

Battle Ground 000 130 x –4 8 2

Battle Ground

Pitching – Rylee Rehbein 7 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 13 K, 2 BB. Highlights – Rylee Rehbein 1-4; Kelly Monaghan 1-3; Liv Gruenberg 3-3, R, 4 RBI, HR, 2B; Brooke Rausch 2-3; Hailey Ferguson 1-2.