BLHS FASTPITCH: Panthers finish season with 25-4 record overall
Published 3:09 pm Monday, May 30, 2011
A young Bonney Lake fastpitch squad finished the 2011 campaign with a 25-4 record overall. Unfortunately, a tandem of those four setbacks occurred during the Class 3A state championships at the Regional Athletic Complex in Lacey last weekend, to the same team…Bellevue High.
The Panthers got off to an inauspicious start Friday as they stumbled out of the gate, losing to Bellevue 7-1. With that initial defeat, the Panthers knew they could still finish as high as third, but only if they won the rest of their state games.
The Panthers didn’t miss that bronze medal by much as they sailed through the loser’s bracket, leaving Sedro Wooley and Mount Spokane in their wake by scores of 12-2 and 24-1, respectively.
Saturday, thanks to the stellar pitching of junior windmiller Rendi Johnson, who was backed by a stingy defense throughout the tournament, the Panthers sunk their fangs into Everett High’s Gulls, out of the Wesco League. Bonney Lake jumped out in front 3-1 off of a Mickey Blad three-run round tripper and held on to win 4-3.
Then it was on to the next prey, which just happened to be Bellevue, which had lost to Juanita on the winner’s side of the bracket.
The stubborn Bellevue crew fell behind early, but battled back to overcome the deficit and won 8-7, preventing the Panthers from playing in the trophy round.
Third year skipper of the Panthers, Andrew Sage, who was named 2011 Coach of the Year in the South Puget Sound League 3A, said Bonney Lake’s success was a reflection of the hard work the coaches and players logged to reach the state tournament.
Sage cited junior third baseman Jacqui Courneya, who went 5-for-10 at the plate in state’s trials with a home run, as an example.
“We had all this talent and I wanted to get as much of it playing defense on the same diamond as possible, so I asked Jacqui to make the transition from being a middle infielder to playing defense at the hot corner,” Sage said, adding that Courneya made the successful transition for the good of the club.
The Panthers will lose three of their top four hitters to graduation in June, including two-time MVP Taylor Watkins. Yet, Sage held that BLHS should return a formidable core of players next season, including junior mound ace Courtney Franz, who was forced to sit out her entire sophomore season with a knee injury.
“I really want these girls to pause to savor the great campaign we just finished up though and leave next year for next year,” Sage said. “Fifth in the state, out of hundreds of 3A teams, isn’t so bad.”
