ADNA — When he’s standing in the third base coaching box, Bruce Pocklington is as direct as can be. He isn’t shy about what he expects out of Adna High School’s softball team from the first game to the last.
Yet ask him how his girls traditionally respond to a difficult non-league schedule and a deep playoff run, he chokes up immediately.
“Every group we've had rises to what I ask them to do,” the Pirates longtime head coach said. "Don’t ask me why. I challenge them.”
The quest for a third consecutive Class 2B state title is at the midway point. And the belief from within the dugout is that Adna is trending in the right direction.
Sophomore Avery LaFontaine fanned nine batters and an early 5-0 cushion pushed the final unbeaten in the C2BL to a 13-2, six-inning victory over Rainier on Thursday afternoon in Adna.
It marks the fourth consecutive win for Adna (9-3, 4-0) and every win has ended before the seventh inning. Alyssa Carroll ended the contest in the sixth with a two-run home run after a leadoff walk and a Kendall Humphrey RBI triple.
“We just need to buckle down some things and we’re working on it,” Pocklington said. “Had some good at-bats early, ran the bases hard. I’ll take aggressiveness over not being aggressive.”
The big question of last year’s group was experience. That didn’t end up mattering.
Who was going to be the starter this spring was pondered. Will that matter?
For now, it hasn’t been a concern.
LaFontaine registered eight of her nine K’s in the first three innings. She overpowered the Mountaineers (8-3, 3-1) with her riseball/fastball combo. The right-hander worked throughout the fall and winter, getting teammates to come get her valuable reps in the circle.
“I was ready to pitch, but I couldn't do what I do without my defense,” LaFontaine said. “I’m grateful for them.”
She got plenty of run support.
Adna batted around the lineup in the first, then a four-spot in the fourth put the game out of reach. Danika Hallom launched a three-run home run while Khloe Hunt recorded three hits, two of them doubles, and three runs batted in. Kendall Humphrey added a double, triple and two RBIs.
“We just need to continue to spread the wealth,” Pocklington said.
One trait that was showcased by LaFontaine on Thursday was flushing a bad at-bat.
In the third, Rainier’s Mia Naval roped a one-out triple, then LaFontaine retired the next two. Keira Anderson led off the fourth with a solo home run, but the Mountaineers went down 1-2-3.
LaFontaine only let one run across in the sixth, facing two runners in scoring position with one out.
“From start to now, she's throwing a lot more strikes and getting ahead of hitters,” Pocklington said. “She’s got herself out of difficulties.”
Rainier head coach Katie Qualls felt she could leave the field with small victories, but four errors and not taking advantage of hitters counts left more to be desired.
“This was going to be the test,” she said. “There’s a lot of work to be done, but what we are working with, I’m proud. It is hard to get down about it.”
Freshman Gracie Lantz recorded two hits for the Mountaineers. Anderson is the lone senior that sees the field and without all-league shortstop Brooklynn Swenson, they haven’t missed a step. They face Onalaska on Saturday, the same day as their prom.
“How are we going to bounce back in two days?” Qualls said.
Adna travels to Toledo on Saturday in a vital league matchup between two state semifinalists from last spring.
“Once our bats come alive, we’ll be good,” LaFontaine said.
