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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Wv Finds Bats For Title; EV To State

Denise Gellner Correspondent

AA/A softball

After chalking up only nine hits in its first two games, West Valley pounded out 10 hits Saturday to defeat Hanford 9-2 in the District 5-7 fastpitch softball tournament championship game at Franklin Park.

Both teams advance to the State A/AA Tournament in Tacoma next weekend, with the Eagles as No. 1 seed and the Falcons No. 2.

Also advancing is East Valley as third seed after defeating Riverside 10-3 behind Wendy Stredwick’s two homers and five RBIs. Kim Stern pitched a two-hitter with seven strikeouts.

West Valley, the Frontier League champion, advanced to the title game by beating Lakeside 4-2 and Newport 4-0. Hanford crushed Kettle Falls 20-5 and Riverside 13-6.

In the title game, the Eagles were led by Annie Schell, who had two runs batted in and scored two runs, and Erin Ruduner, who came off the bench in the sixth inning to slam a two-run double.

In the sixth, Ruduner, Mary Osborne and Alyssa Hendricks came off the bench and had hits, helping the Eagles score four runs.

The Eagles’ Carie Koker had a solo home run in the fifth.

“We finally hit the ball like we’re capable of,” said Eagles coach Steve Kent. “We’ve been playing pretty well all year and it was nice to be able to put it together. I think that once we had qualified for state, the pressure was off and they started to come alive with the bats a little bit.”

Lindsey Tucker, coach of the Falcons, agreed with Kent and said the Falcons used the championship game as preparation.

“We’re not pleased with the way we hit the ball in the third game, but we got to see the No. 1-seeded team,” said Tucker. “We’re going to see big teams like that - if not better - over there at the show, and we have to prepare for that.”

WV sophomore pitcher Darcy Sohns had a long day, pitching the last two innings of the first game and the entire second and third games.

“I was kind of tired, but I knew I had to keep going for my team,” Sohns said. “I wanted to get it for the four seniors that are now going to state; this is their last year.”

Sohns also slammed a triple in the third and had an RBI in the first.

The Eagles went to state in 1992 and last year, and were eliminated both times in two games.

“Our goal is to get over there and make something happen,” Kent said. “We think we have a good enough team to better that (past history).”