Mitchell, Fishback carry Demons to win

WASHINGTON - Foul. Foul. Foul. Foul. Foul. Foul. Foul. Foul. That's how many pitches Kaitlyn Mitchell got a piece of before sending a run-scoring single to left field in the fifth inning of Washington High School's first-round softball game Thursday. There was also three balls and two strikes in the at bat.

The Demons were trailing Grinnell at the time, having surrendered seven runs in the first three innings, but Mitchell's at bat gave hope and momentum to the team and before the inning was over, RyLee Fishback clouted a three-run home run. The Demons put up eight runs in the fifth to take a 9-7 lead. Kellie Dallmeyer scored in the sixth to make the final a 10-7 victory over the Tigers for the Demons.

'It felt like I fouled off 100 of them,” Mitchell said of the crucial at bat. 'Once I got two strikes on me, I decided she was not going to get me out.”

Mitchell likes inside pitches because as a left-handed batter, she can turn on them easily. She was spraying foul balls behind her, to the left and to the right.

'I just wanted to make good contact, no matter what,” Mitchell said. 'When they are close to being strikes and I don't like them, I just try to foul it off. Some of those fouls were good contact, so it gave me confidence on the next pitch.”

After an out, an error and a walk, Grinnell pulled pitcher Ella Grife for Lydia Roudabush. An error and a single put two on base and up to the plate stepped Fishback, who struck out swinging and looking and her first two at bats.

'I was very upset about those so I told myself to calm down, try my best and just make contact with the ball,” Fishback said. 'It obviously worked.”

She made great contact and sent the ball out over the left field fence. She had hit two out in a recent game.

'I was not thinking about those because I know every at bat is different,” Fishback said. 'I don't remember the pitch. I just know I wanted to make contact. It was just an exciting moment.”

Washington had given up four runs in the first inning on an error, a hit, a hit batter, a bunt and a throwing error. Another run scored in the second but it ended when Demon catcher Anna Venenga threw out a runner stealing. Two more scored in the third inning, but Cara Linnenkamp faced just four batters apiece in the fourth through sixth innings and three in the seventh, striking out the final two. She gave up six hits, two walks, two hit batters and fanned four. two of the hits were misplayed bunts.

'We did not play great defense to start and they exposed us with their short game,” WHS coach Ben Obermann said. 'Cara was outstanding. She shut them down. Her change-up and a rise were working.”

The change-up worked to perfection on the final pitch of the game.

The Tigers got a runner on in the sixth, but right fielder Alexa Mitchell ended the inning running toward the fence with a spectacular, over the shoulder catch. The first out of the seventh inning was nearly an exact replay.

'We do a lot of drop-step stuff to work on getting a jump on the ball when we practice,” she said. 'I basically just told myself, ‘oh crap I've got to get to this ball.'”

The defense seemed to turn around when Kaitlyn Mitchell moved from third base to catcher for the fifth inning.

'She is so good at commanding things,” Obermann said. 'Cara is a little more comfortable throwing to Kaitlyn.”

'When I'm catching, I know I am in control of our defense and I hope it makes the team more confident,” she said. 'I know it makes me more confident. We really kicked it in gear in the last couple innings on defense.”

Kaitlyn Mitchell has moved into the leadoff position and responded by batting .403 with an on-base percentage of .530 and a slugging percentage of .610 to lead the team.

Behind the plate and in the batter's box, 'Kaitlyn was just unbelievable,” Obermann said. 'That is a senior who knows what she's doing. If she's not all-state then something is wrong.”

Washington takes it 9-17 record to Clear Creek-Amana Saturday. Grenell exits its season at 10-11. Seven of the Tigers 11 losses were to ranked teams.

'We have an experienced team,” Obermann said. 'Four out of five years, we have won this first-round game. They are hungry to play some more and get to the state tournament. Clear Creek is a good team that plays great competition but we will be up for the challenge.”