3A Fastpitch | Sammamish in semis

TACOMA — When their state quarterfinal game went to extra innings, the Sammamish Totems were prepared. The Sea-King District champions had practiced plays for international tiebreakers all week.

The preparation paid off as the Totems survived a nine-inning battle to beat Bainbridge 2-1 Friday and reach the semifinals of the Class 3A state fastpitch tournament.

"This is awesome," said Sammamish coach Mike Eckhart. "The kids played well all year for this. They deserve a shot."

Sammamish scored the winning run in the top of the ninth against Bainbridge. Under the international tiebreaker rule, Kim McMahon started the inning at second base and moved to third on a ground out by Hannah Cooley. One out later, Tina Jacobson beat out an infield single, allowing McMahon to score.

Pitcher Sarah Minice did the rest, holding the Spartans scoreless in the bottom of the ninth.

"We've been practicing for tiebreakers all week," said Eckhart. "We learned what we could pitch, and when to throw to first and third. We just drilled it over and over."

Said Jacobson, "It's been a long wait. It's exciting to be here."

The Totems (22-3), in their first semifinal appearance since 2002, meet Kennedy (23-3) at 9 a.m. today at the South End Recreation Area. Capital of Olympia (19-7) and Bonney Lake (18-7) play in the other semifinal. The winners will play for the title today at 4:30 p.m.

Sammamish started the day with a 3-0 win over Auburn Mountainview as Minice pitched a no-hitter and struck out 11. Minice then struck out 14 against Bainbridge.

"We have a lot of seniors," Minice said. "We're counting on us to get it done."

Kennedy needed a seventh-inning comeback to knock off North Central of Spokane 2-1 in the quarterfinals.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the inning, Jamie Yellam hit an RBI single to score Tracy Hughes with the tying run. Ashley Engel then scored from third base on a grounder by Peggy Mathison, sliding under the throw on a play at the plate for the winning run.

"It was the perfect hit by Peggy," Engel said. "I was hungry. The catcher was blocking the plate, but I was going to go through her no matter what. We needed it."

Kennedy won its opener over Issaquah 2-1, with run-scoring hits by Brittany Montgomery and Maggie Whaley in the first two innings. Karli Merlich earned both pitching victories for the Lancers.

Notes

• Capital got a 2-0 first-round shutout of Bishop Blanchet as Krista Shannon struck out 13 Braves. The Cougars then blanked Mount Vernon 3-0, with Shannon hitting a two-run single in the sixth. Six of the last seven state champs have come from the Southwest District, where Capital plays.

• Bonney Lake, a second-year school in its first state appearance, pounded Hanford 8-1 before edging Auburn Riverside 5-3 in nine.