Trojans Finish in Top 6 at NWAC Championship Tournament

Spokane, WA - The Trojans last appearance in the NWAC Championship tournament was in 2018 (no tournament in 2019 and 2020 due to COVID-19) a year in which EvCC made a solid run, winning their first two games but ultimately falling in their next two, finishing in the top 6.  The 2022 tournament had a similar result, but a different path as the Trojans went 3-2, splitting on day one and then winning their first two before falling to conference foe Bellevue in the quarterfinal round to once again finish tied for 5th. 

Everett finished out the regular season winning six of seven, and claiming a share of the North Region Title for the second straight year.  The lone loss coming to Bellevue, the team in which the finished tied with in the standings to be crowned co-champions.  In the final weeks of the season, Everett climbed to #4 in the RPI rankings, which were used to seed the 16-team, double elimination tournament.  As luck would have it, the Trojans would travel the 300 miles to Spokane to face rivals Edmonds College in the opening round, a school just 11 miles south of the EvCC campus. 

In four regular season meetings, Everett defeated Edmonds three times but in the NWAC playoffs, records are thrown out of the window.  The Trojans jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the second inning but were held to just one additional run for the remainder of the game coming in the bottom of the 5th.  Meanwhile the Tritons chipped away at the lead, eventually trailing 3-5 heading into the top of the 7th.  Edmonds made things interesting by driving in a run to cut the lead down to one, but starting pitcher Kaylie Hoskins was able to bear down when it mattered most and got the final outs to secure the first round win.  Hoskins pitched all 7 innings giving up the 4 earned runs on 10 hits, but also striking out 10. Offensively, Kayla Tuaoa was the star with a 3 run triple, and also drawing a bases loaded walk to record 4 RBI's.  

The second game of the day pitted Everett against #5 Mt. Hood who was coming off of a huge 15-0 win over Skagit Valley.  EvCC again went with Hoskins in the circle and had Mt. Hood on the ropes through 5 innings, leading 4-1.  Disaster struck in the final two innings for Everett as Mt. Hood capitalized on fatigue and exploded for 5 runs in the 6th and 5 more in the 7th to take an 11-5 win.  The loss knocked Everett down to the elimination half of the bracket setting up must win games for the remainder of the tournament.

The Trojans opened up Saturday morning against #11 Columbia Basin who lost narrowly to Lower Columbia in a 15-14 thriller but bounced back to win their second game against Big Bend 12-10.  Pitching would need to be on point as the Hawks entered the game scoring a total of 26 runs to the Trojans' 10.  Kaylie Hoskins got the start once again, and delivered throwing her best game of the tournament and holding CBC to one hit, one earned run (a solo HR) and striking out 12 batters.  The Everett offense looked terric combining for 9 runs on 11 hits, 3 walks and only striking out once.  Isabelle Hansen connected on a moon shot, 3-run home run and five other Trojans came through in big spots to record RBI's.  The win advanced Everett to the final 8 teams of the tournament and a meeting with two time defending champs from 2018 and 2019 North Idaho College.

The Trojans played NIC back in early March and came away with a pair of wins, so the ladies had confidence against the NWAC powerhouse program.  Needing pitching depth, freshman Riley Mae Swanson got the start for Everett and had one of her best performances of the year, going 4 complete innings, giving up 2 earned runs on 3 hits.  Going into the top of the 7th Everett held on to an 8-5 lead and game appeared to be well in hand when Ivane Aholelei hit a 3 run home run to put the Trojans up 11-5.  Needing just three outs to advance, things looked promising when Hoskins in relief struck out the lead off batter.  But a walk, a hit by pitch, and another walk loaded the bases which was then followed up by a grand slam to bring NIC back with new life at 11-9.  Again when it mattered most, Kaylie Hoskins got the job done finishing the final two outs with fly out and a strikeout to advance EvCC to the final 6.  

In the third game of the day Everett faced off with Bellevue who had just lost in extra innings to Clackamas.  Runs would be a plenty as both pitchers faced fatigue.  Everett put up three runs in the first three innings, but Bellevue would answer with 8 runs of their own, before eventually tying the game in the bottom of the 5th at 9-9.  Everett responded in the 6th with two runs on Isabelle Hansen's second home run of the game, however another disastrous inning would be the Trojans undoing as 8 runs came across for the Bulldogs in the bottom half of the 6th, of which EvCC would be unable to recover, ending the season with a 17-11 defeat. 

Still, the season had so much positivity, winning the a share of the North Region title for the second straight year and a run deep into the NWAC Championship Tournament.  Many players earned post season accolades including Isabelle Hansen, Meleana Turner, Madison German, Jordyn Lono (2nd most doubles in a single season at EvCC with 18), and Leiloa Bustamante who earned 1st Team All North Region Honors.  Kayla Tuaoa, Kaitlynn Bridgewater, and Jazmine McMiller earned 2nd Team All North Region Honors.  Kaylie Hoskins lit the season on fire earning pitcher of the year honors in the north region and was an NFCA First Team All American pitcher.  She broke the EvCC single season record for strikeouts at 289 and also set a new career record with 462 strikeouts.  Her 13.86 K/7 average ranks among the best ever in the NWAC and also shattered the previous EvCC school record. 

In his 20th season at the helm of Everett Community College Softball head coach Randy Smith (along with his staff) led the team to a 34-9 overall record 24-4 north region record, and was recognized as North Region Coach of the year.  Randy now has 423 career wins, and has taken Everett to the playoffs 14 times. When talking of this year's team however, more than wins or any single individual performance, Randy praises the collective academic achievements of this group with 11 athletes making the academic honor roll and a collective team GPA of 3.48.