High school sports roundup: Colglazier, Stadium baseball capture undefeated PCL title

THURSDAY’S RESULTS (APRIL 18)

SOFTBALL

4A

EMERALD RIDGE 14, OLYMPIA 4 (5)

Emerald Ridge ace Alanna Wirtala shut down one of the 4A SPSL’s top lineups, and the Jaguars ten-runned Olympia for a crucial win in a league that is far from decided.

Wirtala took a perfect-game bid into the fourth inning, retiring the game’s first nine Bears in order. She struck out six and walked none, surrendering four late hits and four runs (two earned).

Olympia’s Avery Mauldin ended the perfect-game bid with a leadoff double in the fourth inning, and Brooklyn Crass blasted a two-run homer on the very next pitch.

Gone was the perfecto, and gone was Emerald Ridge’s comfortable three-run lead, back to one -- all in the span of two pitches.

How would the Jaguars respond? Emerald Ridge ran away. On the first pitch of the home fourth, Taylor Orgeles lifted a solo homer to center field, sparking a nine-run frame that featured four extra-base hits.

Olympia (9-2) suffers its second loss. The first, on April 9, was a more-competitive 6-4 defeat to Puyallup, another contender.

The Bears get an instant shot at revenge: Olympia hosts Emerald Ridge for the finale of a two-game series on Friday night.

The SPSL’s top-five teams in the standings are separated by less than three games. Sumner (7-1) holds a slim half-game lead as of Thursday evening.

3A

TIMBERLINE 3, RIVER RIDGE 1

Midway through Timberline’s softball practice earlier this week, freshman outfielder Brookelyn Read launched her first-ever home run over the outfield fence. Not her first in a game, not her first for Timberline – her first ever.

Read took to hitting drills, wanting to prevent ground-ball swings and lift the ball in the air. She sank her legs slightly and geared her swing to “see through the middle of the ball,” her coach, Lynsi Polanco, said.

Something clicked.

“Stay true to your swing,” Read’s coaches reminded her.

And did she ever.

Read just posted the game of her life; rather, the at-bat of her life. Blanked by River Ridge across five innings, Timberline’s first-year left fielder launched the go-ahead, three-run homer in the sixth that lifted Timberline to a seventh consecutive victory and revenge-win over the Hawks, the only program to defeat the Blazers this season.

“The timing of it couldn’t have been better,” Polanco said. “For her to hit her first high school home run at that moment, to basically secure the win for us, was huge.

“I’m so happy for her. She’s been working hard.”

Timberline pitcher and TNT All-Area arm Jasmyn Polanco tossed a one-run complete-game on her 18th birthday. She avenged an earlier loss to River Ridge with 11 strikeouts to three hits and two walks, allowing one unearned run.

“She had a chip on her shoulder,” Polanco said. “Playing the team we’ve lost to, this win is huge for us. … She went out there today and gave it her all.”

The win keeps Timberline (6-1) tied atop the 3A SSC standings alongside Yelm (6-1).

BONNEY LAKE 14, LINCOLN 0 (5)

Panthers lefty Aspyn Evanson silenced Lincoln throughout a five-inning one-hitter, and undefeated Bonney Lake (14-0) cruised over its 3A PCL rivals in five innings on Thursday night.

Evanson struck out seven consecutive Abes across a streak that spanned from the second to fourth innings. She allowed just three baserunners and took a no-hitter into the fourth frame, eventually broken up by Lincoln shortstop Joy Wilde’s one-out double.

“Aspyn threw really well. Had good command today, for sure,” Panthers coach Kate Zender said. “She’s just built a lot of confidence throughout the season, and knows her teammates have her back, offensively and defensively.”

It was more than enough for Bonney Lake’s high-octane, never-ending lineup that pounced for 14 runs in three innings. Panthers outfielder Lauryn Lee smacked an RBI single to center in the first inning, and the floodgates opened.

Did you know: Bonney Lake hasn’t lost a regular-season league game since 2016, when the Panthers competed in a now-defunct 3A SPSL? Since it joined the 3A PCL for the 2016-17 season, the program remains untouched (83-0).

Panthers left fielder Morgan Berg punctuated the onslaught with a two-run single in the third inning that pushed Bonney Lake’s lead to 14. Berg finished 2-for-3 with three RBI.

Catcher Riley Shaw went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI.

“Our one-through-nine did a good job of keeping the pressure on, and getting on-base,” Zender said.

STADIUM 22, SPANAWAY LAKE 2

Tigers third baseman Allison Howes went 3-for-5 with a home run and two doubles, and Stadium routed Spanaway Lake in five innings Thursday in Tacoma.

London Kim and Howes swatted back-to-back home runs in the first inning, part of a 14-run opening frame.

Center fielder Hayden McCabe went 3-for-5 with three runs, and first baseman Izzy Galindo finished 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI.

Tigers starting pitcher Lily Hart tossed a one-hitter across three innings, and went 3-for-3 at the plate with three singles and two RBI.

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS (APRIL 17)

BASEBALL

3A

STADIUM 9, BONNEY LAKE 7

Tigers starter Kellen Colglazier stumbled early – but the senior right-hander recovered and his offense provided plenty of support over Bonney Lake, a 9-7 win that guaranteed Stadium (12-0) the regular-season 3A PCL title.

Colglazier issued four walks and hit a batter in the first inning, and Bonney Lake pounced for three early runs. But Stadium’s starter excelled facing the Panthers lineup for a second and third time. He lasted five innings and kept his Tigers in the game, whiffing seven with four hits and four earned runs.

“(Kellen) knew how big the game was,” Stadium coach Justin Hinkle said. “But once he got dialed in, he pitched real well. ... The offense produced enough runs, and we pulled it out in the end.”

When Bonney Lake grabbed three runs in the first inning, Stadium returned fire with four. Second baseman Noah Kula lined a two-out, bases-loaded single to center field that scored two runs and capped Stadium’s four-run opening frame.

Ahead 4-3, Colglazier settled in and Stadium played add-on. In the second, catcher Bennett Nieraeth grounded a bases-loaded, RBI single through the left side, and Dayton Lopez followed with an RBI fielder’s choice that plated Logan Judish.

“It could have been any one of our hitters,” Hinkle said. “They’re all producing at different times, and it’s really fun to watch.

“It’s not just one-through-three hitters. We’ve got one-through-nine.”

Stadium shortstop Jesse Winkler went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Lopez and Kula notched two RBI apiece.

The win completed Stadium’s untouched, 12-game run through the PCL and two-game sweep of second-place Bonney Lake (8-2) this week.

“We went 12-0 in-league... and took it,” Hinkle said. “Very proud of the boys.”

NORTH THURSTON 5, YELM 2

Rams starter David Perez threw a one-hitter across four solid innings, and outfielder Tyler Chisa went 2-for-3 with two RBI in North Thurston’s win Wednesday, the program’s second win over rival Yelm in as many days.

Chisa sparked North Thurston’s offense early. After Ethan Shaefer worked a leadoff infield single and stole second base, Chisa lined a two-out double to left that plated his teammate and put the Rams on the board.

To boot, Chisa took third base on an ensuing single and scampered home on a wild pitch, good for North Thurston’s second run in the opening frame.

It provided instant run support for Perez. The Rams righty held Yelm hitless until the third inning, fanning four with two walks and one earned run.

North Thurston added three runs in the third inning -- Chisa poked an RBI single to center field, Rudy Larson drew a bases-loaded walk, and Zach Albright lifted a sacrifice fly to center.

Seven Rams logged at least one hit.

Yelm’s Barrett Schnetz twirled 3 ⅔ shutout relief innings (two hits, two strikeouts).

North Thurston (4-6, 7-8) enjoys a three-game win streak. The Rams silenced Yelm in Tuesday’s two-game series opener, 3-1.

CENTRAL KITSAP 3, TIMBERLINE 2

Central Kitsap’s three-run rally in the sixth inning lifted the Cougars (5-5) over Timberline (5-5) on Wednesday afternoon.

With Central Kitsap’s Hunter Wallis representing the tying run at third base, left fielder Andrew Baisler chopped a one-out grounder to shortstop. Wallis took off for home -- and he beat Timberline’s throw to the plate, tying the game at two.

Sixth-inning ground balls moved Central Kitsap’s Landon Frandsen from first to third, and when Baisler attempted to steal second, Timberline’s infield misplayed the throw and allowed Frandsen to score the go-ahead run.

Timberline first jumped to an early, 1-0 lead when Zack Sanchez stole third base and Central Kitsap’s throw over sailed into the outfield, allowing him to zip home.

Blazers second baseman Aiden Pullar lined an RBI single to right field in the top of the sixth, doubling Timberline’s lead before the Cougars rally, 2-0.

That was all Timberline managed against Cougars starter Grant Lin, who allowed the two runs across six quality innings. He struck out three and walked five.

Timberline outfielder Jake Nadeau went 2-for-2 with a walk.

Frandsen went 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored.

Central Kitsap’s win snapped a two-game losing skid and earned a two-game series split after Timberline grabbed Tuesday’s opener, 6-4.

MORE SCORES

SOFTBALL

4A SPSL

Curtis 30, Bellarmine Prep 26

3A SSC

Yelm 28, Shelton 5