Demon girls rout Central Lee

A solid win for the Washington softball team was just what the doctor ordered coming into the most important part of the season.

The Demons traveled to take on Central Lee on Tuesday, and came away with a 14-3 victory, which featured numerous big performances.

?It was a collective effort all through our order,? Washington softball head coach Ben Obermann said. ?We talked before the game about having a little more sense of urgency early on in games. We tend to be a very good team in the fifth, sixth or seventh innings, when our back is up against the wall. Those games, we are pretty darn good. We are trying to have a sense of urgency early in the games.?

Washington mustered 13 hits in the win, which included a five-run third inning, while flashing their team speed with 10 steals in the game.

?That was awesome to see,? Obermann said. ?We have good team speed, and when we can get girls on and have the lead, we can be a fun team to watch. We can run, we can hit and run, or we can bunt. We are a fun team to watch.?

Mackenzie Knutson led the team with a pair of doubles and three RBIs, while Jessie Buchholz, Megan Mitchell, Morgan Brinning and Molly Sparks each notched a pair of hits, in a game that saw eight Demons get a hit.

Mitchell, Sparks and Brooke Stout each had a pair of RBIs in the game. Megan Strabala had a team-best three stolen bases, while Brinning and Haylee Wilson each stole two bags.

With the victory, Washington moved to 11-23, and will wrap up the regular season on Wednesday night, making up a pair of conference games against Mt. Pleasant at home.

The games were suspended last Thursday in Game 1, with the Panthers up 5-2 in the third inning, but Obermann thinks this will be a good test for his team going into Thursday?s postseason game.

?We talked about it last night, saying that having games tonight is better than having a practice,? Obermann said. ?We will be in game situations, going up against a team that has to sweep us to win the conference outright. We are going into tonight with a chance to spoil their chance, and we see tonight as a first-round postseason game. It?s do-or-die, and that will set us up for (Thursday).?

While the Demons are focused on Wednesday night, Thursday will bring about the first round of regional play, where the Demons will travel to face Maquoketa. If the Demons advance, they will face Mt. Pleasant on Saturday.

?We have been worrying about the teams in front of us, but once you get the pairings and who you are playing, you start to scout them a little bit,? Obermann said. ?(Maquoketa) plays in a tough league, just like we do, and they seem very similar to us. It will be a challenge for us going two-plus hours on the road, but we are confident we can come out on top.?

Wednesday?s doubleheaders will resume at 5:30 p.m.