by Eric Francis
La Conner catcher Lauren McClung (right) hugs teammate Abi Hedlund after the Braves beat Evergreen Lutheran 11-1 on Tuesday to earn a berth to the Class 2B state tournament.
LA CONNER — In a span of four games, the La Conner softball team went from unbeaten juggernaut to one win away from seeing its season end prior to the Tri-District 2B Tournament.
The threat was comfortably averted. The Braves got back on the winning track Tuesday with an 11-1 victory over Evergreen Lutheran to clinch a spot in the state tournament for the second straight year. The game was stopped in the bottom of the sixth inning by the 10-run rule.
After starting the year 15-0, the Braves (16-4) lost twice each to Friday Harbor and Orcas Island, dropping the four games by a combined total of nine runs.
“I think we’re past it. It was a tough week,” winning pitcher Samie Miller said. “I think we’re better than that. We didn’t want to be too confident. It can come back to hurt us.”
That overconfidence could have easily returned against an Evergreen Lutheran team the Braves swept in a doubleheader by a combined score of 26-1 less than a month ago.
“We had to be really careful that we didn’t take them too lightly,” Braves coach Peg Seeling said. “I think we’ve learned our lesson.”
Instead, the Braves methodically took care of business. La Conner scored in every inning but the third, including four run-rallies in the second and fourth.
Lauren McClung, Kasey Swanson, Galena Graham and Tara Gilkey each had two hits for the Braves.
McClung scored three runs, Swanson scored twice and drove in three, and Graham drove in a pair. Gilkey doubled, tripled and scored twice.
On the mound, Miller struck out 10, walked only one and limited Evergreen Lutheran to four hits over six innings.
“They got their swagger back,” Seeling said. “This is such a close team. They like and support each other.”
Next for the Braves will be two more Tri-District games to determine seeding for the state tournament, which begins May 29 in Yakima.
“We’re going in confident,” Miller said. “Once we’re there, we’ve got nothing to lose.”
• Eric Francis can be reached at 360-416-2131 or by e-mail at
