By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR
Sophomore Gabby Wenn threw a three-hitter and struck out 14 as West Seattle waltzed to an 8-1 girls fastpitch softball victory over neighborhood rival Chief Sealth.

The Wildcats ran their overall record to 9-5 with the Friday afternoon home win at the Southwest Athletic Complex while knocking the Seahawks to 4-10, but both teams are assured of going to the Metro League tournament in two weeks and the Sea-King District tournament in three.

"That's when it really counts," said Chief Sealth head coach Mike Depew.

Depew was one of many who left impressed with Wenn.

"That's got to be one of the best pitchers in the league," said Depew, whose players talked to each other about hating to go up against Wenn's rise balls. "She throws the ball real well."

"She averages about 15 strikeouts per game," said West Seattle head coach and athletic director Trevor Leopold. "She's definitely the team leader. She's got a great bat, too."

Wenn is a leader among mostly players her own age, as the Wildcats have 10 sophomores to go with four freshmen, two juniors and no seniors.

"They've got a good young team," said Depew.

The Wildcats are expecting a high Metro League finish as the regular season winds down next week.
"We should have the No. 2 seed to Nathan Hale," Leopold said. "Early in the season we had some errors and it cost us against them twice."

While Wenn was working her wonders on the mound, West Seattle pounded out eight runs on six hits off Chief Sealth starter Julia Stewart.

Stewart struck out two in a 1-2-3 bottom of the first inning, but the Wildcats came up with three runs in the second to get started.

Wenn walked to lead off the inning and stole second, then scored as Tina Lozeau hit into a single and an outfield error.

Lozeau wound up on second, and went to third on a Rachel DeVore grounder.

After Emma Atkinson walked and stole second, Carynia Smith scored Lozeau on a grounder back to Stewart on the mound. Atkinson went to third on the play and scored on a grounder by Mireya Keller.

West Seattle tacked on another run in the fourth as Sarah Podemski ripped a one-out double down the right-field line, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Wenn grounder.

The Wildcats loaded the bases on a Lozeau single, DeVore walk and an Emma Atkinson hit by pitch, but Stewart stopped the rally on a strikeout.

Chief Sealth scored its run in the top of the fourth to make it a 4-1 game.

Stewart hit into a two-base outfield error and scored on a base hit by Claire Erickson.
West Seattle answered with four in the bottom of the inning.

Keller walked and scored as Annalisa Ursino hit into a single and error and Samantha Hemmert connected for a bounding two-run single up the middle.

Hemmert promptly stole second and came around on grounders by Podemski and Wenn.

Chief Sealth shortstop Megan Hafermann prevented further damage when she dove to pluck a sinking line drive by Lozeau just off the ground.

Hemmert then had an impressive play at catcher for West Seattle in the top of the fifth.

She snagged a short popup up the middle by Paloma Robertson for one out and fired to second to catch Aisaya Carbray off the bag. Carbray had singled and stolen second with nobody out.

The Wildcats added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth.

Ursino walked, stole second and third and scored as Podemski hit into an error.
Wenn then bore down to strike out the first two batters she faced in the bottom of the seventh and final inning before the game ended on an unassisted ground out to Atkinson at first.