Ignited by RBI knocks from Karly Rasmussen and Karlee Coleman after gritty at-bats, the Bearcats did just enough to upend the T-Birds 5-3 on Monday night at Rec Park.
It’s now a seven-game winning streak for W.F. West (13-2, 9-1 EvCo) and it would wrap up a perfect month of April if it beats Shelton on Wednesday. Down 2-0 entering the third, Coleman’s RBI single started the rally and Rasmussen capped it with a two-run base hit two batters later.
Rasmussen fouled off four of five pitches before connecting the single that put the Bearcats in front for good. Coleman did the same thing in the fourth with two outs, taking a 3-2 pitch to right that plated two runs.
“Got the runs when we needed them,” Bearcats head coach Kevin Zylstra said. “Real pleased with how we fought in this one. It was not easy.”
Allie Smitherman added three hits for W.F. West and Taylor Tobin went the distance in what Zylstra called a “gutty” performance in the circle. He also credited the outfield defense for erasing hard contact.
Tumwater (8-6, 5-5) took advantage of a one-out walk in the first and Brielle Womach laced an RBI single then in the third, the sophomore notched her second RBI base hit to make it 2-0. The Thunderbirds had the bases loaded with no outs in the sixth and managed to score only once.
Sarah Stevens struck out seven in the circle for Tumwater. It will take on Centralia on Wednesday afternoon at home, marking the first of five games where the T-Birds won’t leave Thurston County.
