Destiny Wright, Evie Smith, Lindsey Simpson, Ella Nelson, Journey Howden, Flora Lister, Portia White, Hazel Moe, Astasia Monahan, Alanna Lago, Ariah Howard, Chela Scheckel-Mohler, Sofia Garcia, Jessie Nichols / Contributed Photo
The Orcas Island Lady Vikings softball team finished the season with nine wins and three losses. They went to districts and beat La Conner, earning them a place in the state championships. They lost to Friday Harbor for the district title, but were ready to play in the state tournament.
On May 25, the Vikings played their first game of the tournament against the previous year’s state champions, Pe Ell. Pe Ell scored 12 runs in the first inning, which ultimately proved to be all of the runs scored in the game. Although Orcas Island lost 12-0, they fared better against Pe Ell than Friday Harbor, which lost to Pe Ell 19-1 on May 26.
The next battle that Orcas faced was against Liberty Bell; Orcas defeated Liberty Bell 8-0, moving the Lady Vikings on to the next round of the tournament. Orcas then battled it out with Onalaska. In what proved to be a tough game, Orcas was defeated 13-2. The players were disappointed that their season was over, but were content with their achievements and overall improvement as a team.
The best part of state, according to second baseman Ella Nelson, was that “we all played together as a team, and even though we only won once [at state], we didn’t get down on each other, we had fun, and lifted each other up.”