Highlanders in 4A quarters

TACOMA – Shadle Park brought two-thirds of its game to Friday’s first day of the State 4A softball tournament at SERA Fields.

It was enough to send the Highlanders, for the second straight year, into today’s11 a.m. semifinal against Woodinville.

Even if the offense struggled, pitching and defense sparkled in the Highlanders’ 5-0 and 1-0 victories over Jackson and Evergreen (Vancouver).

“We got it done on defense,” said coach George Lynn. “Not only with Sam, which was really nice to see, but the defense was on the same page as Sam. They made some great plays.”

Sam, of course, is Sam Skillingstad, the junior pitcher who has been integral to the success of the program for three seasons.

She pitched a four-hit shutout in the opener, the outcome decided by two critical Jackson errors. Against Evergreen, Skillingstad allowed only one hit, in the fourth inning. Shadle’s defense flawlessly handled every opportunity to make a third-inning run hold up.

Getting through the first day, said Lynn, is always difficult.

“The first game is always toughest. The butterflies come today,” he said. “You try to gain momentum from that point on.”

Shadle Park 5, Jackson 0: There were a couple of defensive gems in the tourney opener, by catcher Tressa Predesik in the fourth inning and third baseman China Frost in the fifth.

And in the sixth, a Predesik pickoff attempt at first produced a catcher to first to third putout of a Jackson runner trying to go from second to third.

Those came in handy when the offense was not getting clutch hits, Lynn said.

The latter play ended the second of only two threats off Skillingstad in the game, although she had to work her way through the final four innings when the Timber Wolves got their hits after she retired the first nine batters she faced.

Shadle scored all its runs – all unearned – with two outs in the third inning, highlighted by No. 9 hitter Jessica Berlinger’s clutch, two-run single in her first at-bat.

Shadle Park 1, Evergreen 0: Allie Burger, who had two bunt singles in the first game, added two more hits in the second game.

Her first against the Plainsmen in the quarterfinal game drove in the winning run.

It scored Frost, who had opened the third inning with a double.

Burger said she is considered a double threat, both in her ability to move runners up and also to beat out bunts or swing away for base hits.

“I saw an outside pitch,” said Burger of her RBI single. “That’s what I usually get, so I scoot up to the plate so I can reach it.”

Shadle had the bases loaded against Evergreen with one out in the second but failed to score, and had the leadoff runner on and moved into scoring position two other times, but couldn’t get them in.

Skillingstad, however, was comfortable in her task. She retired nine of the first 10 batters she faced, striking out six.

When the Plainsmen threatened in the fourth, getting their only hit and bunting Wailana Buchanan to second, Skillingstad got another strikeout and induced a grounder to the right side that catcher Predisik ran down and threw to first for the final out. Evergreen didn’t have another runner. Skillingstad finished with 10 strikeouts.

Entering the seventh and protecting a 1-0 lead, Skillingstad said, “is when it gets fun. You’re not going to win all the time by blowing out everyone.”

To be honest, she added, she’s played in so many games she doesn’t get nervous in the close ones.