​BLOOMFIELD — Washington’s softball team kicked off the week by nearly toppling one of the state’s elite programs, and now the Demons hope to finish what they started against another strong opponent on Saturday. Washington earned that chance on Thursday, leveraging thunder at the plate and dominating pitching to secure a 7-4 victory over Davis County in the Class 3A, Region 8 quarterfinals.
Colbie Greiner highlighted the win with her ninth home run of the season, a program-record performance, while also striking out 13 batters on the mound. Greiner described the day as a strong start on the mound, emphasizing hard throws and good spin. “I definitely started off throwing hard and spinning the ball. That’s a big thing for me,” she said. “We had a lot of confidence coming into this game. On Monday, we faced the fifth-ranked (2A) Louisa-Muscatine and held them to 7-4 through seven innings but couldn’t close it out. That experience gave me the confidence to push through this game.”
Washington entered the regional quarterfinals with a 10-game winning streak and carried that momentum into the showdown against Louisa-Muscatine. They opened with a three-run first inning, demonstrating the confidence and execution that has characterized the Demons’ stretch run. Though they eventually relinquished the lead in the final frame, the setback only fortified Washington’s postseason confidence as they brace for a region that features 10th-ranked West Liberty.
Greiner reflected on the underdog mentality fueling the Demons. “Louisa-Muscatine actually beat West Liberty by eight runs last week, so knowing that we could have beaten Louisa-Muscatine and should have beaten Louisa-Muscatine gives us a ton of confidence,” she said. “Being the underdogs also pushes us. We were underdogs last year in the postseason. We went to Davenport Assumption, and we won to get to the state tournament. That helps us a lot—to never give up and know what we can do.”
In the postseason-clinching win over Davis County, Washington jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings. Greiner set the tone by retiring the first six Mustang hitters, including the opening five strikeouts. The Demons added three extra-base hits in the second inning, highlighted by Kaleah Gerdes’ two-run homer, to extend the early advantage.
Davis County clawed back, trimming the deficit to 4-2 on Ally Batterson’s two-run single. The Mustangs continued to threaten, pulling even closer with three consecutive doubles in the fifth inning and loading the bases with the go-ahead run at the plate. Greiner, however, quelled the rally, recording an important strikeout of Lydia Barker to end the threat and preserve the Washington lead.
Davis County coach Joe Rasmussen acknowledged his team’s consistent performance this season. “You’d like to think that one or two more hits could have changed how this game wound up,” Rasmussen said. “Our girls did what they’ve done all year.”
As Washington advances, the Demons will look to carry the same focus and fearlessness that carried them through a challenging week. With Greiner’s dominant pitching and power at the plate, Washington aims to continue its playoff push and secure a return trip to the state tournament. The road ahead includes a critical matchup on Saturday against another top opponent, one that will test whether Washington can complete the late-season charge that has defined this program’s season.