Thunder Basin Blasts its way to a Softball State Championship [VIDEOS]

An offensive onslaught helped the Thunder Basin Bolts to their first state softball championship last weekend in Gillette.

The Bolts outscored their four opponents at the state tournament, 47-10. That included a 12-2 win in the title game last Saturday over Cheyenne Central. Here are a few of the highlights:

Get our free mobile app

Thunder Basin scored 10 runs over the first three innings and never trailed. Winning pitcher Jaci Piercy went four innings on the rubber and allowed zero runs and just three hits. Piercy also had four hits and drove in two runs at the plate. Logan Brown added a home run among two hits and three RBIs.

Head coach Doug Cox expressed how well his team played all season, how dominant they were at the state tournament and some critical parts of their run to the title.

Piercy and fellow pitcher Ella Partlow combined to go 4-0 at the state tournament with a 2.69 earned run average. They gave up only 26 base hits with 30 strikeouts and only 11 walks. At the plate, Piercy hit .667 during the four games with ten hits and nine RBIs. Partlow added a .429 batting average with six hits, including two home runs. WyoPreps spoke to the pitching duo about winning a title, their partnership in pitching, and more.

Another key contributor was shortstop Macie Selfors. She hit .667 at the state tournament with ten base hits. Six of those were extra-base hits, which included two home runs versus rival Campbell County. She drove in six in the four games.

Thunder Basin opened the state championships with a 9-0 victory over Rock Springs. The Bolts led 1-0 before they scored eight runs in the sixth inning. Piercy threw a two-hit shutout with ten strikeouts.

Their next game was an 11-0 victory over Laramie. A six-run first inning propelled Thunder Basin to the win. That frame featured two home runs, one by Emma Kimberling and another by Partlow. Ella was the winning pitcher. She gave up only four hits and struck out 12.

In the semis, against rival Campbell County, the Bolts hit four home runs in a 15-8 victory. A six-run second inning gave them the lead for good. They pulled away with eight runs in the last four innings. Selfors had four hits, including a pair of home runs, and three RBIs. Piercy added three hits, including a home run, and five RBIs.

As a team, Thunder Basin had a .434 batting average at the state tournament. They finished with 56 hits. That included ten doubles, two triples, and eight home runs. The team had 42 RBIs.

Congratulations to Coach Cox, his staff, and the Bolts’ team.