Bothell’s bats exploded with five homers in a 17-8 victory over North Creek on May 15 in the 4A Wes-King District softball tournament. The Cougars won a second loser-out game with a 7-4 victory over Kamiak.
Those would be Bothell’s final wins of the season as its 2019 campaign ended one step short of the state tournament with a 4-3 loss to Glacier Peak on May 18. Lake Stevens defeated the Cougars, 3-0, the night before.
In the North Creek game, Brooke Davis hit two long balls and Katie Fodge, Ena Borgen and Tatum Powers also smashed dingers. Fodge and Davis had three hits each, and Powers, Kelsey Fortney and Morgan Shults had two hits each.
Against Kamiak, Fodge homered, Charley Bishop had two hits and two RBIs and Powers had two hits.
“We just came out here and hit and we made the routine plays like we should. When we came out here when it mattered, it worked,” said Bothell freshman shortstop Powers, adding that the Cougars’ hitting wasn’t as strong earlier in the season.
Senior second baseman Nicole Leadley said they’ve now got their mental game on target when they step up to the plate. According to Powers, they just “got on it” in the tourney, which began with a win over powerhouse Redmond.
“Our hitting has definitely come alive this postseason. We figured it out and our energy is huge with our team. If we didn’t have energy, I don’t think much would happen, so it kind of gets our game going,” Leadley said.
The girls call senior Lizzy Olson the team’s Energizer Bunny and they praise Fodge for her stellar hitting and pitching and Davis for delivering bombs over the fences.
Bothell is also solid on the chemistry front.
“I think everyone just really likes each other, which is rare to find in a team. I think Bothell is a really good environment and I wouldn’t wanna be on any other team,” Powers said.
Weirdness re-entered the picture during Bothell’s second meeting of the playoffs against Glacier Peak, a team that features Cougar head coach Fred Miller’s daughter, Makayla, as its star pitcher. Glacier Peak also beat Bothell, 14-10, last week.
With Bothell leading 3-2 and Glacier Peak at bat with runners on second and third in the bottom of the seventh inning and one out on May 18, coach Miller walked a batter to set up a force-out situation.
“It just so happened that my own kid (came) up to bat. It was a crazy scene. That was like something out of a movie or something, it just was crazy. I know exactly what my own daughter hits and I threw her tough pitches,” Miller said.
Makayla hit a dribbler to the shortstop, who threw wide trying to get the runner out at home to score one run. The ball then ricocheted off the backstop and the runner scored from second to end the game. Coach Miller’s daughter goes to state, but his Cougars do not.
It was a tough, heartbreaking situation that was filled with mixed emotions.
“Like you can never imagine. I took my team out into the outfield, and we had a really good cry together. It was just really emotional, my seniors were two outs away from getting to their first state tournament. For us to go 7-13 during the season and be two outs away from making the state tournament is a huge accomplishment for this team. We’re super super excited about the future,” coach Miller said.
Makayla pitched a solid game and Bothell’s Borgen and Fodge matched her pitch by pitch from Bothell’s side of the rubber. On the Bothell hitting front, Bishop nailed an RBI single put the Cougars up 3-1 in the seventh.
With a laugh, coach Miller described the conversation around his family’s home the night before the game:
“It’s very uncomfortable. I think what I told Makayla, you just come out and pitch the game of your life and try to beat me and I’m gonna coach the game of my life and try to beat you. We’re both real competitive , so we were really going after each other today,” he said.
• In Inglemoor’s 7-3 season-ending loss to Kamiak, Sophia Fike had two hits and three RBIs.
In North Creek’s loss to Bothell to end its season, Sierra Hein had two hits — including a homer — and four RBIs, Elizabeth Peoples homered and Carli Zanassi had two hits.
In Inglemoor’s 7-3 loser-out defeat to Kamiak, Sophia Fike had two hits and three RBIs. Pictured is Viking hurler Taylor Warra. Andy Nystrom / staff photo In Inglemoor’s 7-3 loser-out defeat to Kamiak, Sophia Fike had two hits and three RBIs. Pictured is Viking hurler Taylor Warra. Andy Nystrom / staff photo
In North Creek’s loss to Bothell to end its season, Sierra Hein had two hits — including a homer — and four RBIs, Elizabeth Peoples homered and Carli Zanassi had two hits. Peoples is pictured. Andy Nystrom / staff photo In North Creek’s loss to Bothell to end its season, Sierra Hein had two hits — including a homer — and four RBIs, Elizabeth Peoples homered and Carli Zanassi had two hits. Peoples is pictured. Andy Nystrom / staff photo
