End of the road for Washington softball

WEST BURLINGTON — The Washington softball team tried its luck with ace pitcher Lauren Summers and eighth-ranked West Burlington on Wednesday night, but the Demons couldn’t solve the heavily-favored Falcons.

West Burlington jumped on Washington early and never looked back in a 10-0 five-inning win, which brought an end to the Demons’ 2022 campaign.

After a scoreless Demon top of the first inning, the Falcons scored four runs in the bottom half off of Washington’s Bella Salazar. Fellow freshman Halle Cuddeback relieved Salazar in the later innings, but West Burlington eventually broke out again.

West Burlington scored one run each in the third and fourth innings and four in the fifth to end the game in the fifth.

Trailing 4-0 in the top of the third, Washington did have a big opportunity to crack the armor on Summers, a junior who sports a 1.60 earned run average, but the Demons couldn’t push one across the plate.

Washington had the bases loaded with just one out and the middle of the Demon lineup at the plate. A pair of looking strike three calls on Ella Greiner and RyLee Fishback ended the threat, and drew the ire of the Washington fans and coaching staff.

“That’s a big play in the ballgame,” said Demon head coach Ben Obermann. “That’s not why we lost by any means, but that’s a huge spot.”

It was an emotional boost for the Falcons as well, who shut the Washington offense down from that point forward.

“Summers is good,” Obermann said. “She located it well, so tip your cap to her.”

Though Washington struggled offensively, eighth-grader Leighton Salazar continued to impress, going 2-for-3 with a double. Greiner and Ava Turner both went 1-for-3 with a single. Emmy Wenger drew a pair of walks, and Bella Salazar drew one.

Bella Salazar was tagged with the loss in the circle, giving up four earned runs over win inning. Cuddeback gave up six earned over 3.1 innings, and both pitchers finished the night with one strikeout.

The Washington softball team finished 13-25 this year, but is a group full of underclassmen. Graduating seniors include Turner, RyLee Fishback, Elyse Hunt and Olivia Hamilton.

“We’ll miss our four seniors,” Obermann said. “There were a lot of great things in those four careers.”

The Demons will return the vast majority of the lineup and pitching staff, which included five freshmen, one sophomore and one eighth-grader on Wednesday night.

“There’s a lot of optimism for the future,” Obermann said. “I think next year at this time, we’ll be looking at different results.”