Houghton lifts Meadowdale to 3A district softball crown

The Mavericks pitcher was perfect through five innings in a rain-shortened 5-1 win over Snohomish.

EVERETT — All spring the Meadowdale softball team has been a puzzle that Wesco 3A teams just haven’t been able to solve.

It was no different Thursday night at Phil Johnson Ballfields.

Kate Houghton was brilliant through her first five innings, and the Mavericks took advantage of every opportunity Snohomish gave them in a rain-shortened 5-1 victory in the Class 3A District 1 Tournament champion game.

Top-seeded Meadowdale (19-4) drew first blood when Taylor Eskew provided a run-scoring single in the bottom the first. The Mavericks added two more in the second when a ground ball off the bat of Zoey Morris got past the Panthers’ second baseman and rolled out into the gap in right-center.

Meadowdale extended its lead to 5-0 in the fifth after another defensive miscue by Snohomish (19-3).

As the light drizzle that fell most of the evening turned into a downpour, the Panthers’ bats finally woke up in the top of the sixth. The game was called after six frames.

Janell Williams broke up Houghton’s perfect game with a leadoff single and later came around on a single by Taylor Khorrami. Anna Robinson delivered another single to put runners on the corners, but Houghton got out of the inning when a fly ball off the bat of Delaney Kaysner was caught in deep right field.

The win gave Meadowdale its third district title in the past four years and first since 2017.

Houghton allowed an earned run, three hits, a walk and struck out nine while tossing a complete game.

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