LACEY — The 3A state championship game didn’t go quite how Everett hoped.
But the Seagulls still got a huge ovation from their large contingent of fans as they held a trophy up to the crowd.
An eight-run six inning by Juanita put a championship out of reach, but Everett still tied the best finish in its softball program’s history, finishing second in the state after a 9-0 loss to Juanita Saturday afternoon in the 3A state title game at the Regional Athletic Complex.
“This united Everett — the town and the school and the students — that’s awesome,” said Everett head coach Mike Millar. “This is what these girls will remember for the rest of their lives.”
Everett placed second at state for the second time in four years, and first with Millar as coach. Millar praised his team and their effort throughout the state tournament.
“It was awesome,” he said. “It’s a great tournament, an awesome facility, beautiful weather and just an awesome group of girls that I get to coach.”
Saturday afternoon’s game was a pitcher’s duel between Everett’s Sydney Taggart and Juanita’s Lisa Nelson until the Rebels broke the game open in the sixth. For the first time all season, opposing hitters piled it on Everett. The nine runs were a season-high for Everett, but only two of them were earned for Taggart. Three errors hurt Everett in the sixth.
“Their pitcher is solid and has a great changeup that kept us off-balance,” Juanita head coach Traci Odegard said. “Overall, they are great competition. They’re a great team, one through nine.”
Taggart went 16-1 this season and pitched all but one out for Everett in the state tournament.
“She has the heart of a champion,” Millar said, “and I’ll roll with her any game against anybody.”
Nelson, who allowed just four hits in the game, didn’t allow a single run in the state tournament for Juanita.
The junior also hurt the Seagulls at the plate. Nelson batted 4-for-4 with a home run that got Juanita on the scoreboard in the second inning.
Everett threatened with baserunners all game, but couldn’t get one across home plate.
“We should have gotten out of (the sixth inning) 2-0, but yeah. In the end it isn’t going to matter if you’re not getting very many baserunners and very many hits,” Millar said. “My hat’s off to Juanita. Their pitcher, I don’t think gave up a run the whole tournament. … She’s a heck of a competitor and obviously hit the ball really well herself.”
The Seagulls got to the championship game thanks to some late-game heroics in their semifinal Saturday morning. Taggart hit a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the score at five and then Gabby Koehler drove in the game-winning run with an RBI single to center field to give Everett a 6-5 victory over Kamiakin, the three-time defending state champion.
“I’ve been playing with these girls since I started and we finally made it here. I don’t even know how to feel yet,” Koehler said after the game. “It hasn’t hit me. We’re finally here. We’ve been working our whole lives together to get to this moment and we’re finally here.”
With just three seniors departing — outfielders Kathy Phan and Bailey Formon-Haynes and first baseman McKenna North — Everett has high hopes for next season.
“We’ll learn from this experience and get a good offseason workout in and hopefully come back stronger, more experienced and ready to roll next year,” Millar said.
“It’s about building the program. We have a lot of young players that are coming up that were out here cheering them on. Hopefully, that’ll be motivation for them to work hard and be a part of what we’re building here.”
At Regional Athletic Complex
Everett0000000—043
Juanita010008x—990
Sydney Taggart, Erin Gordon (6) and Rachel Christensen. Lisa Nelson and Briar Swayne. WP–Nelson. LP–Taggart (16-1). HR–Nelson (J). Records–Everett 25-2 overall. Juanita 24-7.
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