After Yelm fastpitch lost 6-2 to the Timberline Blazers on April 23 in a matchup with heavy league championship implications, the Tornados responded by defeating four South Sound Conference opponents in dominant fashion.
Yelm first defeated the Peninsula Seahawks, 11-4, on April 30 at Peninsula High School, followed by a 13-5 win at home over the Gig Harbor Tides. The Tornados concluded its three-game stretch last week with an 18-3 victory over the North Thurston Rams on May 2. The Tornados then hit the road on Monday, May 6, to play the Central Kitsap High School Cougars, whom they defeated, 18-2.
“We came into the week knowing it was going to be long but important. If we have anything to prove, it’s to ourselves that we can set goals, meet them, and not beat ourselves,” Yelm’s head coach Lindsay Walton said. “The girls have grit and determination and know that a loss does not define the season. We just take it one game at a time and come in with a fresh state of mind every game.”
Last week’s three-game stretch was initially scheduled to be four, however Capital had to forfeit the scheduled contest on April 29 with the Tornados as the Cougars didn’t have enough players, Walton said.
Pitcher Riley Smith started on the mound for the Tornados, but ultimately Madisyn Erickson would earn the victory for the Tornados in the 11-4 win over Peninsula. She struck out five batters, walked five and allowed four hits across six and two-thirds innings.
Despite trailing 4-0 in the first inning, Yelm fought to take a 7-4 lead in the fourth inning after scoring one run in the second inning, three runs in the third frame and three more runs in the offense’s fourth time at the plate during the game.
Aside from allowing no runs on the mound, Erickson also had a strong showing at the plate for the Tornados. She hit a three-run home run to center field in the fourth inning and walked in the seventh inning to score another runner. Austin Hitchner, Kamille Kautz and Layah Hicks each had two RBIs in the game.
Mirroring the contest against Peninsula, Yelm found itself trailing early to Gig Harbor on May 1. Unlike the contest against the Seahawks, it took the Tornados just two frames to gain the lead as they took a 6-3 advantage over Gig Harbor in the second inning. Erickson drove in an RBI single in the second inning, and Yelm scored three more runs due to Tide errors.
The Tornados added three more runs in the third inning behind a Hitchner RBI single and a Kautz two-RBI double. Yelm led 9-3 after the third and added four more runs in the fourth when Jocelyn Lintz collected an RBI single. Erickson then patiently gained a bases-loaded walk, and Hitchner added a two-RBI single. Yelm led 13-3, and ultimately defeated Gig Harbor 13-5.
Mallory Hoke earned the win for the Tornados after pitching seven innings and allowing five runs, two earned, along with two strikeouts and one walk.
On May 2, the Tornados offense exploded for 13 runs in the first two innings, behind a Kautz two-RBI double, a Lintz RBI single, a Hoke RBI single, an Elissa Dewees two-RBI single and an Erickson RBI single in the first inning. After leading 7-0, the Tornados added six more runs in the second frame behind a Smith two-RBI double, Dewees two-RBI single, an Erickson RBI single and a Hitchner RBI after a walk.
The Tornados scored four more runs in the fourth inning behind a Hicks RBI sac fly, a Caylee Roberts RBI double, an RBI groundout from Kylie Minker, and a Lintz RBI single, giving Yelm a 17-0 lead. The team scored its 18th run of the game when Roberts collected an RBI groundout.
Yelm defeated North Thurston 18-3. Minker earned the victory for Yelm after pitching five innings and allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits. She struck out five batters and walked two.
“Our offensive game has been getting stronger, and we have been having quality at-bats,” Walton said. “Our focus at the plate has been to be selective in the pitches we swing at and score often. We have been able to accomplish those two things over the last few games.”
She added that Erickson has been strong in the two-spot of the lineup, as she hits for power following leadoff hitter Dewees. She said Dewees has been consistent leading off, and gets on base frequently by bunting or beating out a ground ball with her speed. Lintz, Carley Waite, Smith and Hitchner have also each batted over .500 throughout last week’s three contests.
Yelm now returns home for three matchups to conclude the regular season. The final SSC matchup on the Tornados schedule is set for 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, against the River Ridge Hawks. Yelm’s seniors will be recognized following the matchup with the Hawks around 5:15 p.m., Walton said.
Yelm will also host Centralia at 4:30 p.m., on Friday, May 10, and Rogers at 4 p.m. on Monday, May 13, in the regular season conclusion.
