Washington earns first trip to state softball since 1997

WASHINGTON -- Sammy Ellingson burst into tears, then took off with a red flag at a full sprint.

The Washington junior center fielder couldn't contain her emotions after her seventh-ranked Demons topped No. 8 North Scott 4-1 to win the Class 4A Region 4 title. It was a surreal experience for Ellingson, and the moment left her speechless. Well, almost speechless.

"It's really overwhelming," said Ellingson, who scored Washington's first run. "I've been a crier my whole life. I'm just really happy.

"We knew this was going to be our year."

For the first time since 1997 and only the second time in school history, Washington will advance to the state softball tournament. It's been a year of firsts for the Demons (31-7), who blended big hits with solid defense against perennial Mississippi Athletic Conference power North Scott (25-17).

"The last few years we've been finishing second in the conference and we finally got that off our backs; we won our first conference championship this year," Washington coach Angie Shrader. "It's so nice to get in this position where we haven't been in a long time."

With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth, Washington junior third baseman Joni Erwin led off a with double to the left-field wall. Two batters later, left fielder Stephanie Fishback sent a pitch deep between North Scott center fielder Lindsay Puls and right fielder Sydne Thomas. The ball fell between the outfielders and rolled to the wall.

Fishback easily reached third base but was waved home. She scored, and her two-run inside-the-park homer put the Demons up 3-1.

"It was just thrown right down the middle, and I saw it and I hit it," said Fishback, a sophomore. "I thought they were going to catch it at first, but I saw my third base coach just telling me to keep going. I was rounding third and I was so excited.

"I just kept on running. When I saw the ball dropped I was like, 'My goal's third but I didn't even think home was an option.'"

Washington scored one more in the fifth when Maddie Bohr reached on an infield single and later scored on a groundout. Washington also had an excellent outing from sophomore pitcher Ashley Rausch, who scattered five hits over seven innings. She never gave up more than one hit in an inning.

The Demons' last appearance at state was less than memorable, losing all three games. But that didn't matter to Ellingson or her teammates. Washington was state bound, and that was enough to keep her smiling.

"We were practicing in the high school gym and we look up and see one red softball banner on the wall," Ellingson said. "It was like in the 1990s or whatever. I just remember my coach remarking that you're going to get one of these. It finally came together and it's amazing. It's the best feeling. I'm speechless."