By Zach Martin / zach@chronline.com
When Joni Guerrero was preparing for the seeding meeting prior to the Class 1A 1/4 District tournament, she was fairly confident her experienced bunch would be a top-three seed.
Yet to see the Rochester High School softball team be the No. 1 seed, it wasn’t far-fetched to believe it.
“When we’re on, we’re good,” Guerrero said. “It is a new spot for us.”
The Warriors’ resume speaks for itself.
They split with Montesano to share the Evergreen League regular season title. They beat 2A district qualifiers Black Hills and Woodland. Their non-league losses are to a 2B district finalist, a 2B district semifinalist and the top seed in the 2A bracket.
Case in point, they’ve been challenged for a good portion of the season.
“It was not a surprise when that happened,” Rochester ace pitcher Layna Demers said. “It gives us more confidence, we play more excited.”
In the Warriors’ postseason opener, they passed with flying colors with a 10-0, six-inning rout of eighth-seeded Nooksack Valley on Wednesday afternoon at Fort Borst Park.
It sets up a semifinal showdown with fourth-seeded Seton Catholic, the Trico League champs and winners of five consecutive games.
“People see some value in us,” Guerrero said.
Since Demers has come back to throw more innings, the Warriors (15-4) have toed the fine line of wanting her stamina increased but not overwork their star pitcher.
The right-hander stymied the Pioneers with eight strikeouts to just two hits allowed and one walk.
“It has been a struggle to pitch, take a break and go back, but I’ve been going to PT,” Demers said. “I’ve come back better than I thought I would.”
Eight of the 10 runs Rochester plated came in the bottom of the third.
Its first six hitters reached and a 5-0 lead was established by the time the first out was recorded. Addi Morgan delivered the biggest hit with her first career home run as a prep.
Nooksack Valley had two errors in the frame and never recovered. Perhaps the most eye-opening aspect was all the damage came against the Pioneers’ southpaw starter, Payton Bartl.
“We had to focus on outside (pitches),” Demers said.
Rochester worked the bases loaded with zero outs in the sixth and an infield single by Hailey Boyd then McKenna Vassar scoring on a wild pitch sealed the victory. Morgan was the lone batter with two hits and Piper Quarnstrom drew three walks.
With the remainder of the tournament pushed to Thursday, the Warriors are aiming for the momentum to continue.
Guerrero believes it will end up benefitting her team, minus Demers not getting any extra days of rest.
“I kind of like playing back-to-back days,” Guerrero said. “Come off the momentum and not let it sit for two days. She (Demers) will be able to go, 100 percent.”
