The WIAA 2025 spring sports calendar has begun with local South Sound teams competing in girls tennis and fastpitch, boys soccer and baseball and joint competitions in golf and track and field. The Olympia High School girls fastpitch team defeated Tumwater High School 12-2 on Friday, March 14, 2025, in a non-league game held at Stevens Field in Olympia.
Olympia was led by senior Ava Bautista who gave up one run and struck out five over six innings. The Bears ended up with 15 hits and 4 home runs (Bautista had 3). Bautista, Syd Potvin and freshman Abby Crawford went back-to-back-to-back in the 5th inning with home runs.
Batista was thrilled with how the team played. “The team’s energy, defense, and consistency at the plate secured our win and I’m excited about the upcoming season,” noted Batista. “I had a good showing at the plate with two home runs and a double. I just focused on staying loose and having fun, it’s reassuring to know I have strong bats before and after me in the lineup.”
Olympia head coach Drew Wellner is excited about the way his team has started the season and likes the composer and relaxed feel his team is showing. “The team chemistry is fantastic and we have great leadership from our three seniors, Ava Bautista, Brooklyn Crass, and Avery Mauldin,” Welner remarked. “The South Sound Sports League will be challenging and extremely competitive as always this year but our goal will be to improve throughout the season, make it to districts, and then hopefully get on a good roll and make it to state.”
Tumwater finds itself in an adjustment phase as a program with a new coaching staff for the year. Head coach Shaunié Kennedy is looking to build confidence as some of her younger players get experience before upcoming EVCO (Evergreen 2A Conference) league play. “We came up short in our game against Olympia and we made some early mistakes and played too conservative,” Kennedy stated. “Even though we lost, we learned, and that’s what non-league games are for.”
The TBirds were missing 2024 EVCO league MVP Ella Ferguson, who is a standout pitcher and signed with Sacramento State to play division one fastpitch. Tumwater has almost the entire returning team from a successful 2024 season including seven all-league selections.
Kenedy is building the Tumwater team on a motto to, “Trust the Process,” with the hope the team will learn to become one cohesive softball family. Their goal is to return to the 2A state tournament. Coach Kennedy has built a family coaching staff as she is joined by her sister Tawny Etter, and her daughter Faith Kennedy, along with Tumwater fastpitch alumni Katie Cunningham.
Both teams will move into league play soon with Olympia competing in 4A SPSL play and Tumwater in 2A EVCO competitions. Olympia hosts SPSL Spanaway Lake on Tuesday, March 18, at Stevens Field and Tumwater faces Seattle Christian on Monday, for a non-league game hosted in Tumwater at 4:30 p.m.
