Colton softball takes third at state

Garth Meyer, Gazette Reporter | Jun 01, 20170

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ColtonWildcatsThirdPlaceTrophy

Coach Brad Nilson and the Colton girls with the third-place plaque. The team was lead by seniors Kendyl Druffel, Emma Schultheis and Daylinn Smith.

It was game No. 4 on Field No. 4 at the Gateway Sports Complex in Yakima.

Playing last Friday at the state 1B tournament, the Colton girls dismissed Wishkah Valley 21-1 earlier in the day – a game in which Wildcats' coach Brad Nilson tried to keep the score under control by playing all of his eighth-graders.

For game two of state, Colton met Quilcene and it stayed tight.

On the Wildcats' last at-bat, down by a run, Colton had runners on first and second base, with one out in the bottom of the seventh.

Leadoff hitter Kendyl Druffel hit a pop-fly for the second out. Sophomore Jordyn Moehrle stepped to the plate next, with the tying and winning run still on base. The pitch, Moerhle swung, hitting a ground ball to the third baseman, who threw her out at first.

“Game over,” said Nilson.

Colton's three seniors' quest for a third state championship in their four years was over.

The next day, Saturday, Druffel, Emma Schultheis, Daylinn Smith and the younger players put on their uniforms again to meet Oakville in the loser's bracket.

The Wildcats led 12-0 in the first inning. They won 19-2.

Two hours later Colton met Sunnyside Christian in the third/fourth place game while, across the complex, Quilcene lost to Pomeroy for the state championship. Pomeroy, in Colton's Southeast 1B league, lost to the Wildcats twice in the regular season.

Against Sunnyside Christian, Colton pushed to an early lead again and won 9-3 to take third in state.

The result follows last year's state championship, which was Colton's seventh since Nilson took over as head coach in 2007. He has also lead teams to a second-place finish, fourth-place finish and now a third.

“I'm disappointed in the outcome but not at how we played,” Nilson said.