Among local schools, the beginning of the baseball and fastpitch season has been marked by two things – drizzly weather and great pitching.
Highlighting the list of outstanding performances was Enumclaw High’s Trevor Cassell.
Making his first varsity start on March 20, the Hornet junior tossed a no-hitter at the visiting Decatur Gators, leading his club to a season-opening, 3-0 victory.
For his effort, Cassell was named an Athlete of the Week by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. Each week throughout the school year, the WIAA recognizes varsity athletes, from each of the six classifications, who exhibited an outstanding performance for the previous week. Each winner receives a letter of recognition from the WIAA executive director, a commemorative WIAA Athlete of the Week beanie and a certificate.
• At Bonney Lake High, hurler Brooke Nelson is showing no signs of a sophomore slump.
Last year’s SPSL 3A Player of the Year has dominated hitters during the Panthers’ early schedule. She has, according to coach Andrew Sage, “looked like a million bucks.”
Nelson allowed just two hits March 22 during Bonney Lake’s 13-0 whitewashing of Spanaway Lake and, two days earlier, had fanned 14 Sentinels during her team’s 4-2 win at Steilacoom. Those were sandwiched around a season-opening victory and a short stint March 23 against Lincoln’s Lady Abes, both bringing pitching victories and putting the Panthers in the win column. The bottom line: through games of last week, Nelson was 4-0 with an earned-run average of exactly zero. During 19 innings of work, she allowed just one walk while striking out 35 hitters. During that stretch, Nelson fanned about 60 percent of the batters she faced.
• White River’s girls opened their fastpitch season March 22 and junior Maddie Pipitone held the visiting Fife Trojans in check during a rain-shortened Hornet victory.
Pipitone gave up just one hit and no earned runs during a six-inning, 2-1 Hornet win.
Trevor Cassell celebrated a no-hitter against the Decatur Gators March 20. Submitted photo.
