After letting a late lead slip away against Napavine during the morning slate on Thursday at Fort Borst Park, Toledo didn’t have much time to regroup.
Just two hours later, the Riverhawks were set to take on Rainier in the district tournament fifth-place game with a spot in the state tournament on the line.
“They could have tucked their head between their legs,” Toledo coach Jeff Davis said. “But we don’t think that way.”
The Riverhawks responded in a big way, scoring 15 runs in five innings to beat Rainier 15-3 and clinch their third state tournament berth in the last four seasons.
“We’ve been down before,” Davis said. “They come back and they never quit. The resiliency that these girls have is exceptional. It’s fun to coach them because they don’t quit.”
Toledo (17-5) never trailed against Rainier in the fifth-place game, and the group’s pop at the plate showed early.
Peyton Holter hit a two-run home run in the second at-bat of the game, Brenna Carver added a home run in the second, and Kailea Lairosn hit a home run to lead off the third.
In their 14-13 loss to Napavine earlier in the day, the Riverhawks hit four home runs, putting their total on the day at seven.
“We go one through nine,” Davis said. “They all hit the ball … We’re hitting line drives, hitting hard ground balls, and that’s all of them.”
Toledo added four more runs in the third, and pushed the lead to double-digits in the fourth.
Rainier fought back to try and extend the game in the fifth, as Ryleigh Cruse hit a two-run home run and Keira Anderson scored on an error later in the inning.
Holter was able to get out of the inning without any further damage, though.
Cruse finished 2 for 3 at the plate with the home run and her pair of runs batted in, while Gracie Lantz, Mia Naval, and Layla Hill tallied Rainier’s other three hits.
Rainier, which also lost to Adna earlier in the day, finishes its season 13-9. The Mountaineers will say goodbye to two seniors, Anderson and Brooklynn Swenson.
Holter pitched all five innings in the circle for Toledo, allowing five hits and three runs (two earned) while walking four and striking out five.
She added two hits, including her home run, and three RBIs, and Brenna Carver also had two hits and drove in three runs. Taysia Miller hit a triple and a double while driving in two, and five other Riverhawks drove in a run.
Though a young group overall, this Toledo team will enter the state tournament with plenty of postseason experience.
Not only did they make a run to the state semifinals last spring, but in both of the last two district tournaments, they have played the maximum number of games that a team could play.
After going 3-2 in the district tournament last spring, they posted the same record at Fort Borst Park this year. In both tournaments, the Riverhawks snagged the district’s fifth and final state tournament berth.
“It’s like we’re going for the five hole every time,” Davis said with a laugh. “If you end up going the long way to get there, it just means that you don’t give up on each other. And that’s how they play. I’m proud of them for that.”
