Power and Persistence: Storm Pushed to the Brink in Walla Walla
Dual Threats: Noonkester and Woods Combine for 3 HRs and 8 RBIs
WALLA WALLA, Wash. — If softball games were decided by the distance of the hits rather than the final tally on the scoreboard, the Chemeketa Storm would have marched out of Walla Walla with a sweep. On a Sunday defined by high-velocity offense and late-inning drama, the Storm (4-13) went toe-to-toe with the WWCC Warriors, falling in two heart-pounding one-run decisions, 5-4 and 8-7.
Despite the pair of losses, the weekend served as a massive showcase for the Storm's power potential. Chemeketa launched three home runs across the doubleheader, proving they can trade haymakers with anyone in the NWAC.
Game 1: The Noonkester and Woods Show
Final: WWCC 5, Chemeketa 4
The opener was a pitcher's duel that suddenly turned into a home run derby. Addison Bennett provided five solid innings in the circle, but it was the bats that provided the early electricity.
Layni Noonkester opened the scoring in the third with a towering two-run blast to left field, followed by a solo shot from Ava Woods in the fifth. Woods was a spark plug all game, finishing 2-for-4 with three runs scored.
The Warriors managed to piece together a three-run fourth and a two-run fifth to take a late lead. The Storm refused to quiet down, mounting a seventh-inning rally where Noonkester drove in Woods with a clutch line-drive single, but the comeback bid fell just ninety feet short.
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Stat Line: Noonkester (3 RBI), Woods (2 Hits, HR), Zoe Moore (Double).
Game 2: A Seven-Inning Seesaw
Final: WWCC 8, Chemeketa 7
If the first game was a slow burn, the nightcap was a forest fire. The Storm jumped out to a commanding 5-1 lead in the second inning, punctuated by Noonkester's second home run of the day—a three-run shot that momentarily silenced the home crowd.
However, WWCC responded with a five-run third to snatch the lead back. The game became a strategic chess match from there. Meagan Trissel (2-for-4) and Laney DeLoe provided veteran stability, helping the Storm claw back to a 7-6 lead by the sixth inning thanks to a gritty bunt single by Hadlee Nicholson and a sacrifice fly by Woods.
The Final Frame:
The Warriors managed to tie it in the fifth and eventually found the gap in the bottom of the seventh. A walk-off double from WWCC's Hector sealed the victory for the Warriors, ending a day where Chemeketa out-hit their opponents 18 to 14 across 14 innings.
Weekend Statistical Standouts
The Storm's middle-of-the-order production was elite this weekend.
| Player | Hits (DH) | RBIs | Highlights |
| Layni Noonkester | 5 | 6 | 2 Home Runs; carried the offense in clutch moments. |
| Ava Woods | 3 | 2 | 1 Home Run; scored 5 runs across both games. |
| Meagan Trissel | 3 | 1 | Consistent contact; key RBI in Game 2. |
| Zoe Moore | 2 | 0 | Added a double and provided a steady glove at 3B. |
The Takeaway
It's a tough pill to swallow when you rack up 10 hits and a 3-run homer and still come up one run short, but the Storm are playing with a "puncher's chance" mentality. The pitching staff, led by Bennett and Shayla Qualls, kept the Warriors within reach all day, while the defense limited errors to just one per game.
Photo Credit: The Athlete Studio Instagram: @TheAthlete_Studio