Defending state champs Redmond upset in quarterfinals by Mount Spokane.
LACEY — Bailey Greenlee had someplace to be and she took her time getting there.
The Snohomish senior treated Friday’s Class 3A softball state tournament quarterfinals like a lazy day sunbathing atop the mound. Greenlee slowly worked her way through pitches until she strung together a perfect game in defeating Kelso 5-0 at the Regional Athletic Complex in Lacey.
“I knew this game was going to be a lot harder and hitting my spots was going to be key,” Greenlee said. “So, I took a lot of time in between pitches. I focused on every batter and what pitch I was going to throw because I really just wanted to win and get to that state championship game.”
First, Snohomish (24-1) will play WesCo 3A foe Marysville-Pilchuck in the semifinals at 9 a.m. on Saturday. The Tomahawks (18-4) advanced by defeating Garfield 4-2 in its quarterfinal game.
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The Class 3A championship game is set for 1:30 p.m.
“It’s going to be another long day,” Snohomish coach Lou Kennedy said. “Since last week, we’ve been trying to get them hydrated so they slosh when they walk. Most of these kids will play more than one game in a day during the summer, but they’re not in that condition, yet.
“But Bailey is in really great shape. So, I think she’ll be fine. She’s a senior and wants to take the ball and just run with it.”
Friday was Greenlee’s fourth perfect game of the season. She was partly motivated by the state opener against Gig Harbor. The Panthers won 5-3, but it wasn’t easy.
“It wasn’t my best pitching,” she said, rebounding by striking out 10 of her 21 batters in the second game. “Two of the hits were over the fence. That didn’t help.”
Snohomish won the Class 4A state title in 2016. It lost in the consolation bracket last year.
Regardless of how the Panthers play, there will be a new Class 3A champion. Kamiakin had a stronghold on the title for three seasons, Juanita (2015), Meadowdale (2016) and Redmond (2017) taking the crown for a season.
It appeared Redmond would succeed in defending its championship in a quarterfinal matchup against Mt. Spokane on Friday.
Trailing 3-2 in the fifth inning, sophomore Camille Eaton knocked a three-run homer out of the park to give the Mustangs their first lead of the game. But Mt. Spokane freshman Morgan Flesland hit a triple, scoring two runs, for the eventual 6-5 upset.
Flesland was down two strikes to Tennessee-bound pitcher Kiki Milloy before her go-ahead play.
“She was throwing everything she had,” Flesland said. “Our thing was to come back stronger, that’s what we’re about.”
Mt. Spokane (21-3) will play Bonney Lake (24-2) in its semifinal game at 9 a.m. on Saturday. The Panthers defeated Edmonds-Woodway 4-2 to advance.
“This is huge,” Wildcats coach Carl Adams said. “We’ve had to battle out some games this season, that prepared us for this and that’s what we said when (Redmond gained a lead). But we always believed in what we could do.”