When Heather Tracy speaks to her Bellevue softball team about playing in the state softball tournament, she preaches from experience.
Tracy, in her sixth season as Wolverines head coach, was an assistant at Shorecrest in 2001, when the Highlanders won the 4A state title.
So when she tells her players about the need to live the moment, but not let it overwhelm them – well, she has the state ring to back it up.
“I know what the situation there is like and I’ve seen the atmosphere,” Tracy said. “They have to enjoy the experience but not get caught up in it.”
For Bellevue, it’s the first appearance in the state tournament since 1988, when it was still slow-pitch softball. The team, which came up one game short a season ago, clinched a berth in the tournament with a 7-5 extra-innings win over Mount Si in the Sea-King District tournament.
The Wolverines, who played the Wildcats just minutes after a tough 4-2 loss to KingCo champion Juanita, did against Mount Si what they’d done all season: rally. Bellevue (18-9) fell behind 4-2 before coming back to tie the game with back-to-back RBI singles by sophomores Kaitlyn Melby and Jessica Yamaura. Mount Si charged back in the top of the seventh to take a 5-4 lead, but again Bellevue battled when Kelly Meggs notched an RBI double to tie the game.
Sophomores Marika McCarthy and Taylor Cooke knocked RBI singles in the eighth that held up to send the Wolverines to state.
“We didn’t have a lot of turnaround time from the Juanita loss,” Tracy said. “All season, we’ve had the focus of one game at time. We just needed to continue that.”
Bellevue lost to Bainbridge in the following game, which meant essentially nothing as both teams had already clinched state berths.
It’s a remarkable feat for a team that starts six sophomores, has one juniors and only two seniors. But those two seniors, Meggs and Corrie McAllister, provide all the leadership the young Wolverines need to play older than their years, Tracy said.
“They keep the big picture alive for us,” she said. “The team is young on paper, but the way they act, the focus they have and the drive they have to be successful is just on display in all of them. They’re tested even though they’re a young group.”
It also helps to have a big game pitcher like sophomore Emily Fleischman. The right-hander is 18-4 and has eaten up the majority of the innings in the circle for Bellevue. Now armed with a changeup, Fleischman has struck out 84 batters this season, testament to her ability to keep hitters off balance.
“She takes all the pitching on, works hard and never complains about anything,” Tracy said. “Whatever her team needs from her, she’ll do.”
Bellevue’s also been boosted by a lineup that has every batter hitting at least .300.
“It doesn’t matter where we are at in the lineup, I’m confident we can get some runners on base,” Tracy said.
Bellevue drew Bonney Lake (15-6) in the first round. The game will be played at 11 a.m. Friday at SERA Fields in Tacoma.
“I know the girls are really excited to be here,” Tracy said. “We just have to get right back to the idea of making things simple.”
