First time in four years Knights fail to place at state

MOSES LAKE — Royal has been pretty comfortable at the state tournament.

In the last 22 years, the Knights have made an appearance 21 times, won nine state titles and placed the last three years. After winning Friday's opener, the Knights lost their next game, but picked up a win against Cle Elum Saturday morning to face Zillah in the consolation quarterfinals.

And it was the Leopards who put a stop to Royal's run with a 3-2 win to eliminate the Knights from the 1A state tournament. Of course, getting that far was an uphill battle, said Royal head coach Bill Barker.

"These kids had to work for everything they got," Barker added.

With only a staff of three seniors, the Knights were playing on borrowed time, Barker continued. And that borrowed time ran out when Royal failed to manufacture more runs.

Zillah scored their first run in the first inning, but Royal tied the score when Arlene Delgado scored on a passed ball in the fourth. The Leopards followed by getting Shaina Allred to ground out with two runners in scoring position.

In the bottom of the fourth, Jessica Olivas singled to center field and her courtesy runner Alyssa Fink stole second base and then scored on Adrianna Mendoza's single to center field to regain the lead.

Royal retied the game in the fifth with a sacrifice fly ball from Ashley Baker.

"You had to keep working on it and take every opportunity you had," Barker said about manufacturing runs against Zillah.

In the sixth, Rachel Torrez hit an infield single, stole second and reached third on a wild pitch and scored on a second baseman throwing error to regain the lead. Heading into the top of the seventh with the season on the line, Zillah brought in the hard throwing Chelsey Quigley to close the game.

Quigley got the first batter faced to pop out to first base, Holly Gilbert to ground out to third, walked Kiya Stakkeland and Baker to ground out to second base.

"We are more accustomed to the faster pitcher, but it was a good move for them to do that," Barker said about bringing Quigley in the game.