1A Bi-District Tournament (at Fort Borst Park in Centralia):
First Round: Blaine 13, King’s Way Christian 10
First Round: Hoquiam 8, Nooksack Valley 3
Quarterfinal Round: Lynden Christian 10, Blaine 0
Consolation Round: Blaine 6, La Center 5
Consolation Round: Nooksack Valley 12, Tenino 5
Blaine 13, King’s Way Christian 10
The Borderites withstood seven late runs from the Knights to hold on for the first-round win. Senior Mesa Puls went 5-for-5 with four runs driven in and four runs scored, and senior Aaliyah Bowman was 4-for-5 with four runs batted in, and was a homerun away from hitting for the cycle for the second game in a row. Junior Kate Koreski smashed three doubles and scored five runs to help lead the Blaine offense which also got a pair of hits from Aaliyah Broyan and Nevaeh Zaddack.
W: Puls (9-5)
BLA: Puls 5-5, 3B, 4 RBI, 4 R; Koreski 4-5, 3 3B, 5 R, SB; Bowman 4-5, 2 2B, 3B, 4 RBI, R; Broyan 2-3, RBI, R, 2 BB, SB; Zaddack 2-4, 3B, RBI; Roff 1-5, 2 R, SB; Nowakowski 1-1.
Hoquiam 8, Nooksack Valley 3
The Pioneers were able to push across three runs without getting a base hit, but it wouldn’t be enough as the Grizzlies sent Nooksack Valley into the consolation round of the bi-district tournament. The Pioneers did keep the base paths busy as they totaled 10 walks, with senior Natalie VanLiew leading the way with three walks and two stolen bases. Senior Payton Bartl and sophomore Alayna Vanieperen combined to strike out seven batters over six innings.
L: Bartl (9-9)
Lynden Christian 10, Blaine 0
Blaine’s win earlier in the day meant a rematch with Lynden Christian in the quarterfinal round of the tournament, and the Lyncs proved to be ready as junior pitcher Roxanne Lenning needed just 59 pitches to toss a one-hit shutout and help send her team to the semifinals, just one win away from securing a state-playoff berth. Lenning also went 2-for-3 at the plate with a single and a homerun, as well as three runs driven in. Junior shortstop Kortnee Tolsma also singled and doubled for the Lyncs, while Hannah Terpstra and Tye Postma each scored a pair of runs. Blaine junior Kate Koreski had her team’s lone hit. Lynden Christian will face Elma today at 11:00 for a state berth, and a spot in the bi-district championship game.
W: Lenning (14-7)
L: Puls (9-6)
LC: Lenning 2-3, HR, 3 RBI, R; Tolsma 2-4, 2B, RBI, R; Craig 1-1, 2B, RBI, R, 2 BB; Terpstra 1-1, 2 R, 2 BB; Brink 1-3, R; Postma 1-2, RBI, 2 R.
BLA: Koreski 1-2.
Blaine 6, La Center 5
Needing a victory in their third game of the day, the Borderites got just that as they pulled out the comeback win over the Wildcats. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Blaine was down 5-4, but a sacrifice bunt by Dilyn Nowakowski scored Leanna Sacknoff from third base. That was followed up by a bunt single from Charley Bakker, which scored Zaddack and gave the Borderites a one-run lead. Blaine then got the necessary three outs in the seventh inning to secure the win and keep its season alive. Mesa Puls was a triple away from the cycle as she blasted her Whatcom County-leading ninth homerun of the season. The Borderites also got a pair of hits from Bakker, as she and Aaliyah Bowman each had two runs batted in. Blaine will play a loser out game today at 11:00 against Nooksack Valley.
W: Puls (10-6)
BLA: Puls 3-3, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 R; Bakker 2-3, 2 RBI; Roff 1-4, R; Bowman 1-2, 2 RBI; Sacknoff 1-3, R.
Nooksack Valley 12, Tenino 5
The Pioneers also needed a victory to stay alive in the tournament, and their bats came alive in the bottom of the sixth to score seven runs and help make that happen. Sophomore Natileah Harmon hit her first varsity homerun early in the game, and she enjoyed doing it so much that she accomplished the same feat later in the contest, She finished with four runs batted in, and senior second baseman Kestyn Wagter was 3-for-3 with a triple, and she also drove in four runs. Nooksack Valley also got two hits apiece from Grace DeHoog and Alyana Vanieperen, and Vaneieperen also got the win in relief as she struck out seven batters over five innings while allowing just one hit. The Pioneers will play a loser-out game today at 11:00 against Blaine.
W: Vanieperen (1-0)
NV: Wagter 3-3, 3B, 4 RBI, R; DeHoog 2-3, 2B, RBI, 2 R; Vanieperen 2-3, RBI, BB; Harmon 2-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R; Bartl 1-3, 2 R, BB; VanLiew 1-3, 2 R, BB; Rutgers 1-4, R; Benner 1-1, RBI, R; Larson 1-2.
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