By Al Camp
Chronicle staff

     Omak High School’s fastpitch team improved upon a fifth-place league finish to take third at the district tournament last week.
     The finish gave the Pioneers a No. 3 seed into regional play, where they open against Lakeside (NEA No. 2) at 3 p.m. Thursday, May 15, at Sterling Middle School in East Wenatchee.
     Lakeside took first in league play but fell 3-1 to Freeman in district play May 10. Freeman also topped Lakeside 13-2 April 25, according to scores from the Spokesman Review.
     “If we shore up our defense, and keep hitting the ball like we’ve done, we will be OK,” coach Steve Springer said.
     In the opening round of district play May 8, Omak upset fourth-place Brewster 10-6 at Cashmere. The win automatically meant the Pioneers would advance to regionals - seeding was yet to be completed.
     In the final games of district May 10 at The Plex in Okanogan, Omak fell 11-1 to Cascade in the opener.
     The Pioneers then sealed the No. 3 berth with a convincing 14-3 win over Okanogan. The Bulldogs opened the first day of district with a 9-6 upset of Cashmere.
     Against Brewster, Omak built a 4-1 lead after four innings. They scored six in the top of the seventh, which proved to be good insurance as the Bears pushed across four runs in the bottom of the seventh.
     Coach Springer said pitcher Morgan Kerr (9 strikeouts, 7 walks, 5 hits) encountered a few pitching problems and the team committed some errors in the final inning to make the game interesting.
     Tiffany Isaac and Ramsi Marchand each slammed home runs over the outfield fence.
     Hitting: Brooke Springer 1-4, 2 runs; Tiffany Isaac 1-4, home run, RBI; Ramsi Marchand 2-4, home run, RBI; Leicie Ables 2-4; Hannah Thomason 1-4, 2 RBI; Tarah Sims 1-3; Glenda Ramos 1-4, double.
     Against Cascade, Brooke Springer led off the game with a home run that proved to be Omak’s only run.
     “We committed a few too many errors,” coach Springer said.
     Kerr struck out two, walked one and yielded only eight hits in three innings. Krista Olson entered in the third inning and got the final out. She would strike out three, walk three and give up one hit.
     Cascade led 5-1 after two innings before scoring five in the third and another in the fifth to end the game early.
     Omak, after committing only two errors against Brewster, committed 11 errors against Cascade.
     “It was a typically defensive breakdown,” Springer said, adding that the team could muster only four hits. “If we had played defense in that game it would have been a different story.”
     Hitting: Springer 3-3, 1 run, RBI home run; Isaac 1-2.
     Omak pounded Okanogan with three home runs and 11 hits to close out district play in a five-inning game.
     Springer led off with a home run, was walked twice and then hit another home run.
     Ramsi Marchand also sent the ball well over the centerfielder’s head for a home run.
     The fast, hard-hitting duo are tied for the team lead in homers with seven each.
     “Dynamite comes in small packages,” coach Springer said of the smallish players.
     Kerr struck out three, walked four and yielded only three hits for the win.
     Hitting: Brooke Springer 2-2, 2 home runs, 3 runs, 2 RBI; Ramsi Marchand 2-3, 2 runs, 3 RBI, home run, triple; Morgan Kerr 1-2, 2 runs; Glenda Ramos 1-2, RBI; Hannah Thomason 2-3, 2 runs, RBI; Krista Olson 1-2, 2 runs, RBI; Tarah Sims 1-2, run; Marci Harris 1-1, RBI.