CHEHALIS — The 2026 W.F. West Bearcats have taken their team motto of “Together, we rise,” seriously in the first two weeks of the season.
It would be a cliché to say the Bearcats have made that mantra a way of life rather than just a saying slammed into their heads every day at practice by the coaches. But the differences so far are intangible during practice and are becoming tangible in games.
W.F. West held off a rally from North Thurston and triumphed Friday night in a 16-6 verdict in six innings. Three of the Bearcats stars of the game — sophomore Karlee Coleman, junior Taylor Tobin and junior Tanner Tobin — proved that they are prime examples of how the team’s motto has yielded success for the team.
Take Coleman. The sophomore third baseman was far from pleased with her performance Thursday in a win against Woodland, although she recorded two hits. Her approach wasn’t quite there Thursday, but against the Rams on Friday, she raked in four hits, including two doubles, to go along with three runs batted in and two runs scored. Her two-run single in the sixth served as the run-rule walkoff.
“My dad and I talked yesterday about keeping back on my back leg and sitting on slower pitchers. That helped me a lot staying through the ball,” Coleman said of her success at the plate.
Then there’s the Tobin twins. Both players are recovering from serious lower-body injuries, Tanner an ACL injury and meniscus tear suffered in August, and Taylor a ruptured tendon in her ankle. Through physical training and months of hard work, the Tobins are back and helping pilot the well-oiled W.F. West machine.
Tanner started in the circle for the Bearcats and was let off the leash, pitching longer than she had previously so far this season. She worked a 1-2-3 first inning against the Rams, but a leadoff triple by Saihdee Trolson turned into the first run of the day on a sacrifice fly by Syriahs Trolson. North Thurston loaded the bases with two outs before Tobin slammed the door with a strikeout of Isabella Haagen.
Tobin was gifted a whole lot of run support from the Bearcats in the bottom of the second inning. Kenley Fragner singled on the second pitch of the at-bat, and an error and a walk loaded the bases. Allison Smitherman tied the game with an RBI single that dropped in right field, and Francesca Remund was hit by a pitch to bring in another run. W.F. West tallied two more on a bases-loaded walk and a defensive miscue by Rams catcher Sara Halterman attempting to pick off Remund at third.
Rayah Middleton delivered a two-run double to pad the Bearcats’ lead to 6-1, Coleman doubled to right to score Middleton, and Taylor Tobin drove in Coleman with a single to finish off an eight-run inning.
Tanner Tobin ran into trouble in the third inning. With the bases loaded and no one out, Syriahs Trolson drilled a double to score two. After three straight walks and the Bearcats’ lead slimmed down to 8-5, Tanner was replaced by her twin sister in the circle.
“This is really the first time that we’ve let Tanner go more than one inning. She struggled a bit, but she battled, and that’s what I love,” W.F. West head coach Kevin Zylstra said. “The girl is as strong as can be, and she’s worked so hard that she deserved this chance. We’ll lengthen her out a little bit as the season goes on, but we’ve got to be patient with her.”
Syriahs Trolson needed only nine pitches to earn three outs in the third, and in the top of the fourth, she brought the Rams to within two runs with her second double of the day. Avery Osborn provided the Bearcats with a cushion in the fourth thanks to an RBI double.
After a strong third inning, the Rams’ bats went quiet against Taylor Tobin, who allowed three hits across four innings of one-run ball and struck out five.
Outside of the messy second inning, Trolson kept North Thurston in the game with her effective pitching, highlighted by a wicked changeup. That was until the bottom of the sixth when the first four batters she faced reached base safely, including a bases-loaded walk. Smitherman lined a double to center to score two and drive Trolson out of the circle.
The sophomore right-hander finished her day with five strikeouts in 5.1 innings, and she also went 3 for 3 at the plate, driving in four runs and coming up a home run shy of hitting for the cycle.
“She stepped it up. She’s one of our younger players, and she absolutely rose to the occasion,” North Thurston head coach Sam Harding said of Trolson. “I expect that out of her. She’s a competitor. She’s a warrior out there.”
The Bearcats kept the runs coming against reliever Paige Guyer. Aubree Lloyd brought a runner home on a sacrifice groundout, Brooklyn Spencer tacked on a run via a single to third, and Coleman doubled home the final two runs to end the game in six.
“Our offense is what keeps us in our games,” Coleman said.
North Thurston has now lost two games against quality opponents in which it was within striking distance. On Monday, the Rams lost an 11-0 lead against Gig Harbor and lost 15-13.
“We’re learning how to handle adversity, especially the younger players. We’ve had to move some players around and they’re learning some new positions,” Harding said. “If they can learn how to handle defeat and the negative things that happen on the ball field, it’s going to make them stronger players and make the team stronger.”
As intended, W.F. West is rising together, improving to 4-0 on the young season. The Bearcats have an improved team camaraderie, and leadership is overflowing throughout the program. They’re also playing with grit, particularly highlighted by the Tobin sisters battling back from injuries.
“They’ve got some guts. There’s a passion for the game that comes out on a day like today. Everybody’s up at the fence whether they’re in the game or not. I love the passion,” Zylstra said.
The next test for W.F. West is the EvCo opener at home against Black Hills on Wednesday, March 25.
Meanwhile, for North Thurston (0-2, 0-1 Puget Sound League), the Rams will play three games in three days next week: first at home against Lakes on Monday, then at home against Rainier on Tuesday before trekking to Peninsula on Wednesday.
“Their talent is really going to start showcasing itself,” Harding said. “Once we get it going, we’re going to be a dangerous team to play.”
