After suffering a tough loss earlier in the week to Coastal Conference rival South Central, the Washington softball team responded with a 13-3 five-inning win over West Carteret to close out the regular season on a high note and deliver a Senior Night victory for Justyce McKissick, Rebekah Langston, Faith Benson, Camri Dawson and Kat Staton.
Despite Tuesday night’s loss to the Falcons, the Pam Pack entered Thursday night’s game clinging to hopes of contending for a conference title. In order for that to happen, Washington would need D.H. Conley to knock off South Central in a game that wasn’t played until the following night. A Vikings win would create a three-way logjam atop the conference standings, but only if the Pam Pack got past the Patriots.
“I told the girls that we put ourselves in a position where we must win and they responded,” Washington coach Doug Whitehead said. “We had a very productive night swinging the bats.”
Though South Central would go on to top D.H. Conley and clinch the conference outright, all was not lost for Washington. Had Conley won and the three teams split the conference title one possible playoff scenario would have saddled the Pam Pack with a No. 3 seed. However, thanks to the Falcons’ victory Washington locked up the No. 2 seed and will play No. 4 Cleveland on Friday at home.
Washington softball would not go without a title however, as its JV team pieced together a 13-3 season and went 11-1 in the conference to clinch the crown.
On Thursday, the varsity club left nothing to chance on as they clubbed 13 hits and scored 13 runs. Haley Hutchins drilled an over-the-fence home run in her second straight game and added a double to go 2-3 with three RBIs.
Haley Wright ended the day 3-4 with a double and four RBIs, while McKissick went 3-4 with a double and scored three runs to lead the assault.
Langston pitched all five innings and scattered eight hits to get the win.
Before the game, Washington paid tribute to talented seniors McKissick, Langston, Benston, Dawson and Staton and thanked them for the contributions to the program.
“We honored the girls before the game and gave them some gifts and the win was great way to finish off the night,” Whitehead said. “You get mighty close to these girls as you watch them grow up from gangly freshman and sophomores to the mature ladies that they are today.”

West Carteret    110    01    —    3    8
Washington    303    34    —    13    13
WP: Rebekah Langston
Hitting: WHS — Haley Hutchins 2-3 (2B, HR, 3R, 3 RBI), Justyce McKsissick 3-4 (2B, 3R), Haley Wright 3-4 (2B, 2R, 4 RBI), Camri Dawson 2-3 (2B, R, RBI), Caylee Jackson 1-2 (2 RBI), Anna Hardison 1-2, Catie Dority 1-1 (1R), Kat Staton 1-3 (1 R).