Juanita softball faces Mt. Rainier in first round | Prep softball playoffs

By Megan Managan • May 21, 2010 1:43 pm
Juanita's Kellie Shinstrom swings during the first inning of the Rebels district softball game against Chief Sealth. Juanita won the game 12-0 in five innings.
Juanita's Kellie Shinstrom swings during the first inning of the Rebels district softball game against Chief Sealth. Juanita won the game 12-0 in five innings.

The Juanita girls softball team will make their first 2010 state appearance tomorrow in a game against Mt. Rainier at 11 a.m.

The Rebels, who won the SeaKing District tournament and entered state as the No. 1 seed from District 2.

To see the state bracket and for directions to the field in Tacoma visit the WIAA softball site.

Last week the Rebels punched their ticket to the state tournament after winning the SeaKing district tournament last Friday evening, beating Holy Names in the championship 12-2.

Despite weather delays and last minute location changes the Rebels found their way to the title after beating Chief Sealth in the quarterfinals and Bellevue in the semis.

Juanita beat Chief Sealth 12-0 in the Rebels first game of the district tournament last Thursday afternoon.

The Rebels ended the game against the Seahawks early, scoring 12 runs in four innings. Juanita quickly took the upper hand, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first inning, despite strong winds on the field. The game, which had been scheduled to play at the Lower Woodland Park in north Seattle, was moved to the Southwest Recreational Complex that morning because bad weather made the other fields unplayable. Chief Sealth held the Rebels scoreless in the second inning, but the Juanita bats came alive again in the third, scoring four more runs. The team capped the win with three runs in the fourth to advance to the next round.

Rachel O’Niell was 2 for 2 during the game, scoring one run and 2 RBI for the Rebels. Her teammate, pitcher Kylie Sparks was 2 for 2 and had two runs and an RBI, as well as two triples during the game. Aliah Sweere was 2 for 2, with two runs, and RBI and a triple. Sparks, credited with the win, pitched for all five innings, giving up two hits during the game.

The next afternoon at Lower Woodland Park the Rebels faced Bellevue, which beat Nathan Hale on Thursday to advance. The Rebels won 4-2 and faced Holy Names for the title only hours later.

Holy Names scored the team’s only two runs during the first inning, but Juanita already held a commanding lead of 5-2 by the time the second started. The Rebels kept adding to the score, getting four runners to cross home plate in the second, two in the fourth and a single run was scored in the fifth. Holy Names had 14 hits during the game, but could never turn the hits into runs.

With the tournament win the Rebels advance to the state tournament as the No. 1 seed out of the SeaKing district. Due to weather delays in other district tournaments the state softball bracket was not completed prior to the Reporter’s deadline. The state softball tournament takes place May 28-29 in Tacoma.