In a battle for the Puget Sound League Nisqually Division title, the Timberline softball team outlasted Peninsula 3-2 in a nine-inning thriller that culminated in a walk-off fielder’s choice Wednesday.
Two of the PSL’s star pitchers, Timberline’s Nevaeh Haagen and Peninsula’s Abby Hoyt, clashed in a back-and-forth contest, with both pitchers throwing every pitch for their respective teams.
After Peninsula stranded two runners in the second inning, the Seahawks broke through in the third inning. Vivien Sweet poked a short grounder to shortstop Porsha Miller, whose errant throw to first allowed a run to score.
The first three batters reached base in the bottom of the third for Timberline, and Miller tied the game on an RBI groundout. Brookelyn Read did the same, driving in the go-ahead run by grounding out.
Haagen once again stranded two runners in the fourth inning. After a leadoff double by Izzy Michaels in the fifth, Miller fielded a ground ball by Meghan Webster, but the accurate throw was dropped by first baseman Brynnli Mayr, and Michaels scored to tie the game.
Neither team could string hits together, as both pitchers put forth their stingiest stuff to keep runners off the bases. Haagen was intentionally walked in the bottom of the seventh, and after she advanced to third, Miller grounded out to send the game into the eighth inning.
Haagen worked a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the eighth, and two walks, in addition to the ghost runner at second base to start the inning, didn’t lead to runs for Timberline in the bottom half. Once again, Haagen cruised through the Seahawks in order in the ninth. Monica Adger was selected as the automatic runner in the bottom of the ninth and advanced to third after a sacrifice by Abigail Terry. Haagen was intentionally walked again to put runners on the corners with one out.
Leovi Meno-Meyers hit a ground ball to Peninsula shortstop Paige Jones, who threw on time to catcher Kamea Salazar, but her foot was off the bag as Adger slid home for the walk-off run.
“I am extremely proud of this team. Today was another team effort. We knew today was going to be a battle, and the girls fought hard. Both teams did,” Timberline head coach Lynsi Polanco said. “We had a couple of key errors early that made things difficult, but they never gave up and they battled back. They played for their seniors. They had something to prove, and we’ve now just gotta keep working to keep climbing.”
Haagen pitched all nine innings and racked up 13 strikeouts while allowing two unearned runs on seven hits. She also was responsible for two of Timberline’s three hits.
Timberline (15-4, 15-1 Puget Sound League) secures the PSL Nisqually Division title and will play for the league title against Central Kitsap (15-3, 14-2 PSL) Saturday at Lincoln High School. The Blazers honored their two seniors on senior night: Leilani Palacios and Sophia Wiggs.
