University tops Mt. Spokane for District 3A/2A slowpitch softball title; Central Valley takes second in 4A

Abby Watkins picked a good day to have a big game, but the senior has been doing it all season long for her University Titans.

Watkins finished 4 for 4 with three home runs – knocking in six – and the visiting Titans beat Mt. Spokane 12-5 for the District 8 3A/2A slowpitch softball championship on Friday.

“Maybe it was the sushi I had earlier,” Watkins said.

The win should cement the top seed at next week’s state tournament in Yakima.

“I believed in us. I knew that we could do it,” Watkins said. “Stepping in with a huge target on our back is not great, but I know that we can keep it up.”

Watkins and Natalie Singer hit two-run homers in the top of the first inning as U-Hi (19-2) built a 4-0 lead before making an out.

“It just felt unreal,” Watkins said of the quick start. “We obviously want to score first, and we always say, ‘First blood,’ as our first cheer to go out there. So to go up 4-0 and hold them for multiple innings just felt great.”

Watkins added a solo homer in the third and a three-run shot in the sixth to close the scoring for the Titans.

It’s the first district title for U-Hi slowpitch since dropping from 4A to 3A. The Titans dropped the earlier two meetings this season between the teams.

“We had that feeling that we needed redemption and I’m glad that we finally got it,” Watkins said.

Hailey Walker had four hits with an RBI single and leadoff hitter Kaidyn Howard went 3 for 4 with two runs for U-Hi.

Mackenzie Morris and Ivy Westerman had two RBIs apiece for Mt. Spokane (17-2), the Greater Spokane League champion, which also qualified for state.

Walla Walla 17, Ridgeline 6 (5): Addie Bowen hit a three-run home run and the Blue Devils (19-5) eliminated the Falcons (13-7) in five innings in the 3A/2A third-place game at Mead High School.

Emma Myers tripled twice and scored two runs for Ridgeline.

The Falcons beat Mead 9-7 and Walla Walla eliminated Ferris 12-10 earlier in the day.

Central Valley 7, Lewis and Clark 6: Sophomore Cora Donley hit a walk-off single in the seventh and the Bears (12-9) edged the Tigers (6-14) in the District 8 4A second-place game at Chiawana High School.

Ella Bendele led off the seventh with a walk and went to second on Shiloh McCoy’s single. With one down, Donley (3 for 4, two RBIs) hit a hard grounder that got through the left side of the infield to score Bendele.

CV lost to Chiawana 3-0 in the district title game earlier in the day to fall into the second-place game.