Lady Broncos prepare for State Softball Tournament

The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Lady Broncos fastpitch softball team accomplished their goal of qualifying for the 2B State Tournament, scheduled for May 25-26 in Yakima.

The Lady Broncos earned the program’s first State Tournament berth since 2007 on May 15, after they went 2-1 in the second round of the Northeast 2B League District Tournament.

LRS began the day with an 8-7 win against Davenport in a loser-out game.

The Lady Gorillas began the contest with a strong lead, scoring seven runs in the first three innings.

Down 7-1 in the fifth inning, the Lady Broncos went on a five-run rally after they strung together four hits, including a triple from Lacey Miller.

In the seventh inning, Miller hit a single to bring in Alarah Pierce-Pulliam for the tying run.

Emily Rosen followed with a sacrifice fly to bring in Miller for the leading run to keep the Lady Broncos in the tournament.

Cailey Vallone-Boettcher earned the pitching win after she took over for Hailey Ayers in the third inning. She allowed zero runs and only two hits during her time on the mound.

Head Coach Todd O’Brien said LRS was nervous at the beginning, which contributed to their slow start.

As the contest continued, the Lady Broncos settled into their comfort zone and were able to play their game.

O’Brien said he was pleased with the grit and perseverance LRS showed as they battled from behind.

LRS continued their momentum into the next game against Kettle Falls, who they defeated 12-7.

Similar to the first game, the Lady Broncos found themselves in a deficit as the Lady Bulldogs led 5-1 after the second inning.

LRS bounced back in the third inning after they scored four runs. The Lady Broncos added six runs in the fourth inning to take the lead, then added an insurance run in the fifth inning to capture the win and a State Tournament berth.

Of the Lady Broncos’ 13 hits, Rosen was 3-for-5 with two triples and a double with five RBI. Tessa O’Brien was 3-for-4.

Vallone-Boettcher earned the pitching win after she threw a complete game.

O’Brien said earning the opportunity to play in the State Tournament is a big accomplishment for the program. He noted LRS had lost in the state-qualifier game in the last two seasons.

He is also excited for the Lady Broncos to compete at State, especially the seniors who have been with the program for five years.

O’Brien is also looking forward to seeing how underclassmen fare against state-level competition.

In their final contest of the day, the Lady Broncos lost to Liberty in the third-fourth seed game, 15-5.

Down 3-0, LRS scored four runs in the third inning to take the lead.

Liberty scored one run in the bottom of the third to tie the contest, then added nine runs in the fourth inning to take back the lead.

The Lady Broncos scored one run in the fifth before the Lady Lancers added two insurance runs in the bottom of the inning to force the 10-run mercy rule.

At the plate, Miller was 3-for-3. Tessa O’Brien, Pierce-Pulliam, Emma Aldrich and Tamera Wolf all collected hits.

Vallone-Boettcher took the pitching loss after she shared the mound with Ayers.

In preparation for the State Tournament, O’Brien said LRS will need to work on reducing defensive errors. He noted the team had 11 errors between the Davenport and Kettle Falls games.

The Lady Broncos will play the first game on Friday, May 25, against Kittitas-Thorp.

If LRS wins, they will play the winner of the Adna and Dayton-Waitsburg game later in the day.