In a matchup between the Puget Sound League’s top two softball teams in Timberline and Gig Harbor Friday, one factor was noticeably absent: Nevaeh Haagen’s bat.
The power hitter, who has belted eight home runs and is batting .688 this season, never saw a pitch. Haagen was intentionally walked all four times she came to bat. In the Blazers’ last three games, she’s been automatically waved to first base seven times.
Despite that, Timberline still had a chance to win the game in the top of the seventh but fell just short in a 4-3 loss, its first in Puget Sound League play this season. Blazers head coach Lynsi Polanco took offense to the Tides’ decision to avoid pitching to Haagen.
“I’m livid,” she said. “It’s really unfortunate that they took the bat away from the kid. These are high school players. But it was an opportunity for the other players to step up and not always rely on Nevaeh to carry the team.”
Timberline loaded the bases in the first inning, including two walks — one intentional to Haagen — and a leadoff single by Porsha Miller, but the Blazers couldn’t cash in. A leadoff double by Brookelyn Read in the second inning was also spoiled, and she never made it to third base.
The trend continued in the bottom of the second, as Haagen pitched around two Gig Harbor singles, fanning the final two batters.
The Blazers delivered in a bases-loaded situation in the third, as Leilani Palacios drove in a run with a single, but Gig Harbor turned an inning-ending double play to avoid any further damage.
In the third inning, Gig Harbor did what only one other team has done this season: score more than two runs in an inning against Haagen. A walk and an error set up Payton Cantrell for a two-run double to give the Tides the lead, and Piper Harrison followed her with an RBI double of her own. Brooklyn Harrison added an RBI single, and the Tides suddenly led 4-1.
Haagen settled in after the tough third, retiring seven of the next eight batters she faced. Brynnli Mayr’s one-out triple in the sixth was rewarded by a sacrifice fly from Sophia Rodriguez.
Down 4-2 in the top of the seventh, the Blazers put two runners on base with no one out. After a fielder’s choice for the first out, Haagen was intentionally walked for the fourth time to bring up Palacios. The third baseman came up clutch with an RBI single to score Kayleese Dorfner, but as Haagen was advancing to second base, she was ruled to have interfered with the fielder.
With two outs and the tying run 60 feet away at third base, Read grounded out to end the game.
“We left too many people on base and just didn’t execute when we needed to,” Polanco said. “I think the complacency set in, and we took our eye off the prize.”
Haagen pitched all six innings and struck out eight batters, allowing four runs, two of which were earned, on seven hits and one walk. Palacios led Timberline with three hits and two RBIs.
Timberline (10-3, 10-1 Puget Sound League) is now tied with Peninsula for first place in the PSL Nisqually Division. The Blazers, who saw their seven-game winning streak snapped with the loss to Gig Harbor, will look to bounce back against Capital (2-10, 2-8 PSL) at home Monday, April 27.
