Lady Braves complete perfect league season

A triple play in softball is a rarity.

Recording three outs on a single batted ball is no easy task, but La Conner High might’ve done itself one better last week.

The Lady Braves won three straight games within a five-day period to cap a perfect NW2B campaign and claim the league title in the process.

La Conner edged Friday Harbor 5-1 on Monday, then swept a critical two-game home-and-away set with Orcas later in the week.

La Conner blanked the Lady Vikings 10-0 Wednesday on the island before blasting Orcas 17-5 Friday in the final home appearance for Lady Brave seniors Madi Cavanaugh and Lauren Reynolds.

Now 17-3 overall, La Conner advances to Bi-District Tournament play, opening tomorrow, Thursday, opposite league rival Concrete in a 3 p.m. test at Stanwood.

Lady Braves head coach Peg Seeling said her club will focus on fundamentals this week while prepping for Bi-District action.

After playing nearly flawless defense for the better part of May, La Conner committed a combined seven errors in the two wins over Orcas, miscues that didn’t hurt in the double-digit triumphs but which could prove costly if they reappear in post-season.

“We’ll be working this week,” Seeling vowed, “to get some of those bugs out of our system.”

La Conner’s pitching and hitting continue to flourish, however.

Sophomore hurler Olivia Hedlund tossed a tidy three-hitter against Friday Harbor, striking out eight Lady Wolverine batters while yielding just a lone walk.

She was backed by a nine-hit La Conner attack, led by Emma Christianson, who delivered a double and a pair of singles and drove in two runs.

Christianson also scored once and swiped two bases.

Freshman Ashley Watkins lined two singles, scored once, and stole two bags for the Lady Braves, who were aggressive on the basepaths all day.

LeAnne Swan plated two La Conner runs with a double, while Reynolds brought in another tally with a single.

Chloe Fullington and Elizabeth Tripp rounded out the La Conner hit parade with safeties.

Hedlund was even more dominant Wednesday at Orcas, limiting the hosts to two singles over five frames. She struck out nine Lady Vikings and didn’t issue a free pass.

La Conner, meanwhile, ripped Orcas pitching for 15 hits.

Tripp and Lexi Nelson collected three hits apiece, with one of Tripp’s going for two bases.

Reynolds, Christianson, Full-ington, and Hedlund laced two hits each for the victors.

Reynolds, Christianson, and Fullington matched Tripp with two RBIs, while Hedlund scored twice to help her cause.

Watkins added a ribbie single for the Lady Braves.

The story was much the same in the two clubs’ rematch on Friday.

Hedlund whiffed seven Orcas batters and gave up just one earned run. She again had superb command of her pitches, issuing no walks.

Four Orcas runs were un-earned, the result of five uncharacteristic La Conner errors.

But the Lady Brave offense was more than able to offset those misplays.

Eight La Conner batters reached the hit column, led by Hedlund, who powered a double, triple, and single and drove in four scores.

Christianson also had four RBIs, on the strength of a single and a double.

Watkins continued her torrid hitting with two singles. She and Nelson, who also singled, accounted for two RBIs apiece.

Reynolds, Swan, Tripp, and Nakiya Edwards chipped in singles.

Tripp led La Conner with four runs scored, taking advan-tage of Orcas errors in addition to her base knock.

Seeling noted afterward the balance of her team’s roster and how different players step up when called upon.

“I’m so very proud of these girls,” she said, “and how they’ve blended experienced leadership with a bunch of freshmen and new players.

“The league championship,” she stressed, “is a result of their hard work and commitment to each other.”