The West Plains Bandits pose with their unique "rally caps" after the conclusion of pool play Saturday, July 16, at the Selah Summer Sizzle. Pictured top row left to right are Grace Lilje, Ashlyn Tamietti, Sarah Mayer, Glori Cheevers, Rachel Barsness, Taylor Pavao, Dee Koeppen and head coach Byron Pavao. Bottom row left to right are assistant coach Joe Cheevers, Taylor Carpenter, Lexi Gonzalez, Claire Dormaier and Maddie Kallsen.
The West Plains 18U softball team's chance at a tournament title in Selah fell just out of reach - literally.
Grace Lilje came up short of making the third and final out in the bottom of the seventh inning in a diving attempt at a ball hit her way in left field, leading to a two-run single that gave the Venom a 12-11 victory over the Bandits in the 16/18 Gold championship game of the Selah Summer Sizzle at Carlon Park, July 16-17. It capped a game that saw West Plains battle back from a five-run deficit to tie the game in the top of the sixth, fall behind by two again in the bottom of the frame before rallying for four runs in their last at bat for an 11-9 lead.
Maddie Kallsen pulled the Bandits within one with a one-out RBI single scoring Deanna Koeppen, and Claire Dormaier platted Kallsen with a two-out double to center. Sarah Mayer then put West Plains up by two with a home run to right-center - the Bandits third of the tournament - only to have the Venom rally in the bottom of the frame for the win.
"I don't know that I have been involved in a more intense battle that came down to a diving attempt on a hit to left with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to end the game," Bandits head coach Byron Pavao said in an email.
West Plains out hit the Venom 14-9, with Kallsen and Ashlyn Tamietti both going 3 for 4, Mayer 2 for 3 and Dormaier 2 for 4. What proved to be the Bandits' undoing were errors, Pavao said - seven of them that led to Venom runs.
To get to Sunday's title game, West Plains first ran the table in their bracket, outscoring opponents 27-6 in wins over the Valley Bandits, Northwest Spark and All-Valley Banshees. Game two against the Spark proved to be the closest of the three, with Glori Cheevers' two-out, two-RBI single to right delivering the eventual winning run in the Bandits 5-3 victory.
In Sunday's championship bracket, the Bandits advanced with wins over the SeaTac Storm, 14-1, and the NCW Sun Devils, 11-1. Kallsen's two-run homer was part of the West Plains' seven-run first against the Storm while Cheevers put the icing on the cake with a two-run shot in the third. Dormaier was 3 for 3 with three RBIs and Lilje 3 for 4 and two RBIs in the win over the Sun Devils.
Kallsen led West Plains at the plate with a .615 tournament batting average, going eight for 13 with nine RBIs while also scoring eight runs. She also owned an impressive .667 batting average with runners in scoring position.
Dormaier was 9 for 17 (.529) with seven RBIs while Mayer, Tamietti and Rachel Barsness all hit .500 for the tournament, with Mayer driving in five runs. Lexi Gonzalez also drove in five runs and Lilje had six RBIs.
Lilje and Taylor Carpenter both went 2-0 on the mound during the tournament, with Kallsen going 1-1. Lilje had a 1.62 earned run average over eight and two-third innings while Carpenter struck out 19 of the 51 hitters she faced over 10 and one-third innings.
The Bandits return to Selah this weekend for the third time, taking part in the Hot August Nights tournament Aug. 12-14.
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].
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