CENTRALIA — The Elma Eagles softball team punched its ticket to the state tournament with a 7-2 win over Forks in the 1A District IV consolation bracket on May 19 at Borst Park.

Elma’s Destry Dineen and Chloe Velasco each hit home runs to put the game out of reach while pitcher Quin Mikel kept the Spartans’ bats quiet.

Elma head coach Roger Elliot said they previously had trouble with Forks’ starting pitcher Chloe Leverington and didn’t want to waste any time with a state playoff berth on the line.

“We faced her last time in Forks and she threw a lot of outside stuff, so we focused on just going with her pitch,” he said. “It took us about four innings to get going last time and this time we wanted to get right on her.”

Mikel relied on working the outside corners of the strike zone as well and she said she had success getting the Spartans to reach on those pitches.

“Fastballs outside on the corners were working for me. When I got ahead I made sure they were way out the strike zone and they swung at them.”

Elma (17-6 overall) will now wait to see who they will face in the first round of the 1A State Tournament, which begins on Friday in Ridgefield.

Forks 000 002 0 – 2 4 1

Elma 021 031 x – 7 5 0

WP — Mikel (7 K, BB); LP — Leverington (5 BB, 3K)

Leading Hitters: E – Dineen (2-3, HR, 3 R) Velasco (2-3, BB, HR); F – N. Lausche (HR); Olson (BB, HR)