The West Plains Bandits 16U fastpitch softball team wrapped up its summer schedule after competing in the 16U/18U Western B Nationals July 28 – Aug. 1 in Spokane. The Bandits went 3-3 in the tournament that included teams from California, Oregon and Idaho as well as Washington.
“We played really well and were in some really close games other than the CDA (Coeur d’Alene) Crush game where we seemed to do everything we could to let that game get out of reach in a hurry,” West Plains head coach Byron Pavao wrote in an email.
The Bandits had little trouble in their tournament opener July 28 against Foothills Frost Bite, rallying from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game in the bottom of the second inning before blowing it open with five runs in the third and seven in the fourth to down the visitors from Sacramento, Calif., 14-2. Sarah Meyer was 3 for 3 at the plate with two RBIs while Grace Lilje, Glori Cheevers and Taylor John each went 2 for 3 and Kaitlyn Kinzel was 2 for 2 in West Plains’ 14-hit attack.
John got the win on the mound, giving up no earned runs and three hits while walking three and striking out four.
The win put the Bandits in the Pool C finals July 29 against Coeur d’Alene who, true to their team name, “crushed” the West Plains squad 17-0 in four innings. Lilje (2 for 2) and John (1 for 2) had the Bandits only hits.
West Plains exited the double-elimination winners bracket the next day with a 4-3 loss to the Molalla, Ore. Mayhem. Lilje had both of the Bandits hits, singling in the second and scoring a run along with Claire Dormaier, who reached on a walk, giving West Plains an early 2-0 lead.
John reached second base on a two-bag error in the seventh, and scored on Taylor Pavao’s groundout to put the Bandits up 3-0. But the Mayhem rallied in their last at bat, tying the game on Carlie Brown’s one-out triple and winning it on Mollie Hamelund’s single to right.
John took the loss in relief of Lilje, who gave up no runs and two hits in five innings.
Knocked into the losers’ bracket, the Bandits made the best of their opportunities, rallying from 3-0 and 5-4 deficits to down Woodland of Sacramento, Calif. 8-5, and outlasting Norwalk No Fear from the Los Angeles area 18-10, July 31.
After falling behind Woodland, West Plains pulled within one at 3-2 in the bottom of the first on an RBI groundout by Kinzel and an RBI single from Pavao, and took a 4-3 lead in the second on a passed ball scoring Dormaier. After Woodland retook the lead with two in the fourth, the Bandits tied it on Petek’s single scoring Lilje, and won it in the fifth on an RBI single from Lilje, getting some insurance with Petek’s two-RBI single.
Lilje, Petek and Hannah Madsen were all 2 for 3. Lilje got the win in relief of Lexi Gonzalez.
The Bandits game against Norwalk No Fear was a slugfest as the West Plains squad churned out 23 hits and scored in every inning but the last. Lilje was 4 for 5 with three RBIs, Pavao 3 for 5 and three RBIs and Kinzel 2 for 5 and three RBIs at the plate for the Bandits.
Lilje got the win, giving up seven runs — six earned — on six hits while walking three and striking out one over four innings, with Gonzalez coming on in relief in the fifth.
Needing to keep winning to stay alive and have a chance to return to the winner’s bracket finals, West Plains ran up against a familiar foe in the July 31 afternoon contest — Liberty Lake. The Lightning hung four runs on the Bandits in the bottom of the third, but West Plains rallied with two in the fourth.
In their final at bat in the sixth, Lilje hit a bases-loaded, two out single scoring John, but ended the game on Pavao’s groundout to second.
“I was extremely happy at how well the girls played as a team,” Byron Pavao said. “The highlight player of the tourney for us was Grace Lilje who hit the ball extremely well and consistent.”
Lilje was 14 for 20 overall, .700, with six RBIs.
The Bandits are holding tryouts Thursday, Aug. 20 in Medical Lake, and are looking to fill multiple positions. Check-in starts at 5:30 p.m.
16U/18U Western B Nationals
West Plains Bandits 16U Softball
July 28 – Aug. 1 at Spokane
Foothills Frost-Bite 110 0 - 2
West Plains Bandits 025 7 - 14
Cda Crush - Gleaves 647 0 - 17
West Plains Bandits 000 X - 0
West Plains Bandits 002 000 1 - 3
Mayhem 000 000 4 - 4
Woodland 300 200 - 5
West Plains Bandits 220 13x - 8
West Plains Bandits 262 314 0 - 18
Norwalk No Fear 052 102 X - 10
West Plains Bandits 000 201 - 3
Liberty Lake Lightning 004 00x - 4
John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.
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