3A state softball notes: Nidick comes through in clutch

Sarah Nidick was not nervous. She was hoping for the opportunity.

“I figured this is the perfect situation,” Nidick said. “If I’m going to do my senior duty, it was my moment to do it. It was exciting and thrilling and amazing.”

“It” was a two-out, two-run triple in the bottom of the sixth inning, giving the Papermakers a 2-1 victory over Bainbridge Friday in the opening round of the Class 3A state softball tournament in Lacey.

Camas will face Juanita in the state quarterfinals at 4 p.m. today.

Thanks to some quality pitching from Harli Hubbard and a key hit from Nidick.

Hubbard relieved Nidick in the pitching circle with the bases loaded in the fourth inning. Hubbard got the first of her five strikeouts to get out of the jam. She gave up one more hit in the final three innings, holding off the Spartans.

“It was really amazing to come in with the bases loaded and just shut them down,” Hubbard said. “It’s overwhelming right now.”

The Camas offense got going in the bottom of the sixth. Amee Aarhus reached on a lead-off single. Lena Richards sacrificed and was safe on an error, giving the Papermakers two base runners. The next two Camas batters got out, though, leaving it up to Nidick. She blasted a shot to right field to drive in the two runs.

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During the opening ceremony, Camas coach Ken Nidick told his assistant coach Ari Van Horn to stand with the other head coaches. That gave Ari the chance to hang with her father, Mountain View head coach Bob Van Horn.

“That was pretty cool,” Ari said.

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Mountain View’s Collen Driscoll got a hit in the fifth inning, breaking up a no-hit bid from Juanita’s Allison Rhodes. Juanita, the defending state champion, would prevail 3-0 and Driscoll got the only Thunder hit. Rhodes is going to Notre Dame in the fall.

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