Concrete High School Fastpitch: 2005 Newspaper Articles
Season PreviewConcrete Lions
Coach: Kelly Howell (second year)
League: Northwest 1A/B
Last year: 10-5 league, 20-7 overall, state qualifier
Top returnees: Whitney Johnson, sr., SS; Kasey Swanson, jr., C; Lindsay Ehmke, soph., 2B; Britt Howell, soph., P.
Top newcomers: Alesha Benson, jr., 3B; Rose O'Connor, sr., OF; Kassy Taylor, fr., 1B/C/P; Amanda Taylor, fr., CF; Cassie Withrow, fr., OF.
Outlook: The Lions had several key players graduate and Jackie Lewis opted for track, so the Lions have some holes to fill, though definitely not on the mound.
The dominant force on the team is Howell, who set school records for wins and strikeouts, pitching nearly every inning for the Lions. She has been somewhat limited in her pitching since the end of last season by a broken arm.
"I will be interested to see how she's doing," Kelly Howell said. "She's back pretty much to full strength. With the experience, she's maturing. We're going to be depending on her a great deal, and I think she can handle it."
Johnson is starting her fourth year a shortstop, and will anchor a fairly inexperienced infield. Swanson moves behind the plate, a key position for a team with a pitcher of Howell's ability.
"She's getting used to it," Kelly Howell said. "That's going to be a big quwstion mark."
Among the newcomers, Kelly Howell is looking for production out of Benson and both Taylors. Kassy Taylor will also see some time between the plate.
The Lions' league will be slightly modified, with the additions of Darrington and Shoreline Christian.
"I have heard Shoreline is a fairly good team," Kelly Howell said. "For the league title, I think it's between us and Friday Harbor. It may come down to how our young people are going to come through and fill leadership positions."
Game #1 Vs Blaine
Howell pitches no-hitter against Blaine
Concrete blanks the Borderites in non-league game
CONCRETE It was a solid start to the season for the Concrete softball team as it defeated a quality Blaine squad 4-0 on Tuesday in a non-league game.
Britt Howell didn't allow a single Borderite hit in the game while striking out 15 and walking one.
Howell had plenty of run support to go along with her outstanding effort on the mound. The Lions pounded out eight hits, with Whitney Johnson and Alesha Benson each collecting a double and a single. Howell also doubled.
"Whitney was a spark plug at lead-off," Concrete coach Kelly Howell said. "And Benson's double in the third was big."
The score was tied 0-0 until Benson brought in the Lions' first run in the third. They added a pair of runs in the fifth and one in the sixth.
"Britt's hit was big and our three freshmen each got a hit," Howell said. "It was a good, quality first win."
Game #3 Vs Lakewood
Concrete Lions 4
Lakewood Cougars 1
CONCRETE The Lions put on a show from the plate as they cruised to the non-league victory over the visiting Cougars.
"We really hit the ball well," Concrete coach Kelly Howell said. "Everyone up and down the lineup hit."
Britt Howell amassed a pair of doubles, a pair of singles and an RBI in the game. She also kept Lakewood guessing when they stepped into the box. Howell struck out 10 and walked one.
"That one walk came around to score their only run," the coach said. "You can't put people on base."
Alesha Benson singled twice and doubled and Beka Thomas single twice as well and tallied an RBI.
The Cougars relied heavily on a barrage of bunting tactics, however the Lions were up to the challenge.
"They kept us on our toes," the coach said. "But we were up to the task."
Game #4 Vs Darrington
Concrete's Howell pitches a no-hitter
CONCRETE - Britt Howell threw a no-hitter Monday and the Concrete softball team revved up its offense in the latter innings to beat Darrington 10-0 in a Northwest 1A/B League game.
Howell (4-0) struck out 15 and the Lions got two RBI each from Alesha Benton and Kassy Taylor. Benton had a single and a double and scored four runs.
"It took us a while to get on track offensively," Concrete coach Kelly Howell said.
Game #5 @ Sultan
Lions 19
Sultan Turks 8
SULTAN Concrete kept its undefeated season alive with the dominating non-league win.
"We got a lot of hits today," Concrete coach Kelly Howell said of the Lions' 17 hits.
Britt Howell led the Lions at the plate with three singles, a double and eight RBI. Kassy Taylor added two singles and two RBI, and Whitney Johnson had a triple, a single and three RBI.
"We really exploded in the second inning (scoring nine runs)," Kelly Howell said. The Tigers led 15-0 after four innings of play.
"I think it was a good tune-up for our big league showdown against Friday Harbor on Friday," Kelly Howell said.
The lions are 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the Northwest 1A/B League
Game #6 Vs Friday Harbor
Lion softball stays unbeaten
By TREVOR PYLE Staff Writer
Concrete downs Friday Harbor in league game
CONCRETE This year it's Concrete that has the early lead.
The Concrete High School softball team got a 15-strikout, two-hit performance from pitcher Britt Howell on Friday and beat previously undefeated Friday Harbor 3-1.
Although it's still early in the season, the win was a statement by the Lions (3-0 in Northwest 1A/B League, 6-0 overall), who allowed Friday Harbor to beat them early last season and were chasing the Wolverines the rest of the way.
"We knew that if we jumped out with a win, it would put pressure on them during the rest of their league games," Concrete coach Kelly Howell said. "They did that to us last year and we returned the favor."
The Lions scored two runs in the first inning. The first run came on a steal of home by Whitney Johnson during a double steal, the second on an RBI single by Lindsay Ehmke that scored Kasey Swanson.
"It was huge for us to be aggressive and hit the ball," Johnson said. "Instead of watching the pitches go by, we stepped up and hit them."
The two runs were the first the Lions had scored in the first inning all season.
"This was our first really big game," Friday Harbor coach Kevin Carlton said. "In the first inning, we were jittery. But give credit to Concrete. They put girls on base and put pressure on us."
Kassy Taylor hit a drive between the Wolves' right and center fielders for the Lions' third run, an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth.
Friday Harbor scored its only run when Katie Shanks, who had singled to lead off the fifth inning, stolen second and been sacrificed to third, came home on a Concrete throwing error.
Starter Beth Kelsey, who was 12-2 last season for the Wolverines, took the loss despite yielding only five hits.
Concrete will host Coupeville at 4 p.m. Tuesday and will host Class 4A school Garifled at 4 p.m. Wednesday. They will play Friday Harbor again May 3 at Friday Harbor.
Game #7 Vs Coupeville
Concrete Lions 2
Coupeville Wolves 0
CONCRETE Britt Howell took a perfect game into the seventh inning, helping the Lions remain unbeaten.
Concrete is 4-0 in the Northwest 1A League and 7-0 overall.
Howell allowed only one hit in the game. She didn't give up a walk and had 18 strikeouts.
The Lions scored single runs in the first and fourth innings.
Kasey Swanson singled, stole second and came home on an error in the first inning, and Kayla Zitkovich's ground-out brought in another run in the fourth.
Swanson had two hits, Zitkovich one and Beka Thomas one. Those were Concrete's only hits.
"Today was a setback with our hitting," said Concrete coach Kelly Howell. "I'm going to blame that on the cold weather."
Today, Concrete hosts Garfield in a non-league game.
Game #8 Vs Garfield
Howell fans 13 for Concrete
Lions top 4A opponent
CONCRETE Britt Howell had 13 strikeouts and Kasey Swanson had four singles and two RBI Wednesday as Concrete blanked a Garfield 12-0 in a non-league softball game.
Concrete rapped 16 hits, including a single and a double by Howell, a two-RBI single by Alesha Benson and two singles by Lindsay Ehmke.
"The weather warmed up and our hitting warmed up," coach Kelly Howell said.
Sara Whitmer added a single and a double and Kassy Taylor had two singles for the Lions (8-0 overall), who scheduled the Class 4A opponent when Shoreline Christian could not field a team.
Howell gave up two hits in her five innings of work.
Game #9 @ Orcas
Softball
Concrete Lions 7
Orcas Island Vikings 0
ORCAS ISLAND Even at less than full strength, Concrete pitcher Britt Howell was too much for Orcas Island in the Northwest 1A/B League game.
Concrete pushed seven runs across in the sixth inning to cruise to the victory.
Howell, battling the flu, kept her record perfect at 9-0 this season, striking out 15 and walking one.
Concrete is 5-0 in league and 9-0 overall.
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LA CONNER The La Conner softball team was the latest Northwest 1A/B League team to run into the Concrete softball machine, and ended up like all the rest. THe Braves lost, 9-0.
Concrete pitcher Britt Howell gave up two hits, struck out 10 and helped improve her team to 5-0 in league and 10-0 overall.
Howell also led her team at the plate, finishing with a single and a double. Alesha Benson added a single and two RBI for the Lions.
"We did a good job of mixing pitches up and getting ground balls," Concrete coach Kelly Howell said.
Kathy Paul had a double and Erica John added a single for the Braves (0-2, 1-3).
"We held (Britt Howell) to only 10 strikeouts, but she had seven putouts in the game," La Conner coach Peg Seeling said
Game #11 Vs Cedar Park Christian
Softball
Cedar Park Chr. Eagles 7
Concrete Lions 3
CONCRETE The Lions committed five errors on the way to being knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten.
All seven runs allowed by Concrete (10-1 overall) were unearned.
"They got runners on base and put pressure on us with the base running. We didn't respond well," Lions coach Kelly Howell said. "We kind of cruised through the first half of the season, and hopefully this is a wakeup call."
Pitcher Britt Howell struck out 11, but also hit a pair of batters during a four-run fourth inning. The hit batters and two errors preceded a big hit, Brianne Hoffman's bases-clearing double.
Britt Howell also made three of the Lions' five hits
Game #12 Vs Darrington
Howell strikes out 18 for Concrete
DARRINGTON Concrete pitcher Britt Howell gave up a single to the first Darrington batter, but didn't allow another one in a complete-game 7-0 win over the Loggers in Northwest 1A/B League play on Friday.
Howell recorded 18 of the 21 outs by strikeout.
Howell also did damage at the plate with a single, double, triple and three RBI. Kasey Swanson also had three hits and drove in a run for the Lions (7-0 league, 11-1 overall).
"We started out with five runs and their pitcher kind of settled down and held us," Concrete coach Kelly Howell said. "Britt overpowered them and kind of held it from there."
Game #13 @ Friday Harbor
Concrete clinches at least a share of league title
Lions top Friday Harbor
FRIDAY HARBOR The Concrete softball team accomplished a pair of firsts Tuesday.
First, the Lions won a game after the ferry ride to Friday Harbor, and second, they clinched a share of their first Northwest 1A/B League title.
Britt Howell's three-hitter led the Lions to a 4-1 victory, giving Concrete a two-game lead over Friday Harbor with two games to go.
"It's was our goal," Concrete coach Kelly Howell said. "(Friday Harbor is) a tough team. They have a pitcher who mixes her pitches."
Alesha Benson had two hits and drove home a run for the Lions (8-0 league, 12-1 overall). Whitney Johnson had a key hit in Concrete's two-run first inning.
Howell struck out 10 and walked two.
Lions Clinch League Title Vs Coupeville
Lions' Howell throws perfect game
COUPEVILLE It was a perfect day in more ways than one for the Concrete softball team on Friday.
The Lions blanked Coupeville 9-0 and pitcher Britt Howell threw her first perfect game, leading Concrete to the Northwest 1A/B League title.
"We came out and clinched the title today," Concrete coach Kelly Howell said, "so we shouldn't have to do it Tuesday against La Conner."
Britt Howell finished with 17 strikeouts on the mound and added two doubles, a single and an RBI at the plate for the Lions (9-0 in league, 13-1 overall).
Kasey Swanson had two singles, and Kassy Taylor and Becca Thomas both had two singles and two RBI.
"We jumped on them early," Kelly Howell said. "After that, Britt was on cruise control. We had a good game up and down the lineup."
The only problem Kelly Howell noticed was that the Lions left at least one runner on base in every inning.
Game #18 Vs La Conner
Concrete rallies for a win
Lions rebound from 4-0 deficit to down La Conner in league battle
CONCRETE The Concrete softball team kept its undefeated Northwest 1A/B season alive Tuesday with a 15-5 win over La Conner. The game was shortened to five innings because of the 10-run rule.
"It was good for the girls to step up without Britt (Howell) pitching," Concrete coach Kelly Howell said, adding the Braves had jumped to a 4-0 lead after two innings. "We were able to step up and stay in the game."
The Lions exploded in the fourth and fifth innings, notching eight runs in the fourth and seven in the fifth to end the game.
"They just collapsed," Kelly Howell said of La Conner. "They had a few errors and we started hitting the ball hard. We started finding the gaps and a couple of hits fell. They got rattled and made some errors."
The Braves finished with five errors, and Concrete had four.
Amanda Taylor led the Lions (10-0 in league, 16-2 overall) at the plate with a single, a double and an three RBI. Britt Howell added two singles, a triple and two RBI, Kassy Taylor had two singles, and Lindsay Ehmke had a single and two RBI.
For La Conner, Molly Olsen had a double, a single and two RBI and Kathy Paul had two singles and an RBI.
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| Kasey @ the Plate |
Game #19 Vs Granite Falls
Granite Falls Tigers 3
Concrete Lions 0
CONCRETE The Lions couldn't manage to drive home a runner in the non-league game against a 2A opponent.
"Their pitching wasn't overpowering," Concrete coach Kelly Howell said. "We just hit the ball at people and didn't hit it hard. We weren't able to get any timely hits."
Britt Howell, Lindsay Ehmke and Amanda Taylor all had singles for Concrete (16-3, 10-0).
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| Britt Cheers as Amanda Scores the Winning Run Against Seattle Christian! |
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Concrete wins district title
By TREVOR PYLE, Staff Writer
Scott Terrell / Skagit Valley Herald
Concrete infielder Britt Howell (right) reacts as the winning run scores in Concrete's 9-8 win over Seattle Christian.
Lions advance to state tournament with two wins
MOUNT VERNON Concrete didn't want to wait to get to state.
The Lions' softball team fell behind 8-0 Saturday in its first game of the tri-district tournament, then stormed back to win 9-8 and clinch a berth in the Class 1A State Tournament.
Concrete could have clinched a berth with a win later in the tournament, but sewed up a spot during its first opportunity with the comeback.
The Lions went on to defeat Friday Harbor 4-1 for the tri-district title.
Against Seattle Christian, the Lions scored seven runs in the sixth, then scored two more in the bottom of the seventh for the win.
"We wanted this so much it's crazy. It's crazy to score seven runs in one inning," Concrete shortstop Whitney Johnson said.
Seattle Christian committed two costly errors in the seventh, including a dropped ball in the outfield that allowed Concrete's Kassy Taylor to motor to third and an infield error that brought her home.
Catcher Kasey Swanson had the game-winning hit, a short liner into the infield that was briefly bobbled, then thrown off-line to home plate.
"I hit it hard ... I hoped somebody would fumble it or make a little error on it, and they did," Swanson said.
Seattle Christian had gone up 8-0 behind solid hitting and effective pitching by starter Jenn Ventoza.
Shortstop Jess Ventoza went 4-for-4 with four singles, Jenn Ventoza added a double, two singles and a sacrifice bunt and first baseman Jamie Simpson had three RBI singles as the Warriors built a formidable lead.
Concrete coach Kelly Howell said the Lions' long layoff they hadn't played since May 19 showed in the first few innings against Seattle Christian as they struggled to get hits.
Concrete had only one hit in the first three innings.
The Lions came alive in the sixth with six hits, including two-run singles by Johnson and Swanson, an RBI infield single by Lindsay Ehmke and an RBI single by Alisha Benson.
"They started hitting the ball better," Seattle Christian coach Matt Ventoz said. "They starting hitting balls into gaps and capitalizing on our errors."
Taylor, who started for the Lions, pitched a 1-2-3 top of the seventh, then led off the bottom half of the frame by advancing to third when Seattle Christian outfielder Noelle Simpson dropped a ball in center field.
Concrete outfielder Amanda Taylor reached on an infield error that allowed Kassy Taylor to score, then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and third on a single.
Swanson's hit then won the game.
"It shows the heart of a champion ... that's all I can say," an emotional Kelly Howell said after the first game.
Concrete ace Britt Howell helped the team to the win over Friday Harbor in the championship game, giving up only two hits, striking out 13 batters and walking none. She was limited to only one game because of the recent diagnosis of a stress fracture in the ulna bone of her throwing arm.
Kelly Howell said a doctor gave Britt the OK to pitch, as long as she feels as if she can. The arm will eventually need to be put in a cast.
Swanson had a double and two singles in the championship game.
The Lions will face Toledo at noon on Friday, June 3, in Moses Lake. The state tournament games will be held at the Paul Lauzier Athletic Complex.
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A Fresh Face
By TREVOR PYLE Staff Writer
Concrete's first-year catcher Kasey Swanson is a force on offense and defense
CONCRETE Concrete High School's Kasey Swanson has proven she can handle herself behind the plate as well as she can at it.
The first-year catcher, who moved behind the plate after playing first base last season, has helped guide the Lions to a tri-district softball championship and a trip to the state tournament, which begins Friday in Moses Lake.
Concrete coach Kelly Howell knew the Lions would need a change at catcher this year after the graduation of four-year player Samantha Pritchard last summer. He said he mulled over several scenarios, but was won over by Swanson's hard-charging style in basketball as well as in softball.
"She's one of the best athletes we have, and she has the temperament and toughness for it," Howell said.
Swanson said the move didn't sink in until she had actually donned the gear and started playing the position.
Until the first games of the Lions' season, Swanson had never caught in a game.
"We played in a jamboree against Sedro-Woolley," Howell said, "and I realized when I saw her out there that she had never caught with a batter in front of her."
Although Swanson is a proven athlete and hitter she's second on the team with a .415 batting average and tied for third in RBI (13) the subtleties of catching were new to her.
"It's the most difficult position (to learn)," Howell said. "There are so many facets to it: blocking, learning coverages, making throws."
Swanson also had to get used to the safety equipment catchers wear, from the helmet and facemask to shin pads.
"It gets hot," she said.
Swanson had to overcome an additional challenge as a catcher: She had to learn how to catch Britt Howell, the Lions' hard-throwing left-hander.
"Britt's really fast, and I was scared to catch her," Swanson said. "I was timid at first."
Now that she has a season of catching behind her, Swanson said, that attitude has changed.
"Now, when someone else pitches it seems like the ball's coming in slow motion," she said.
As the season progressed, Swanson's skills as a catcher improved. Kelly Howell said she holds on to more third strikes, frames high pitches more consistantly, blocks balls in the dirt better and has gotten more and more confident using her powerful arm to throw out baserunners.
And although Kelly Howell calls the pitches, he said Swanson has shown intelligence in how she handles the team's pitchers.
Swanson said she likes how the position involves her more deeply in the game.
"It keeps me focused. I'm always in the game," she said.
Swanson, who is a junior, said she finally has found the position that suits her best.
"Catcher is where I should be," she said.
Lady Lions Start 2-0 @ State
Concrete softball wins two
By TREVOR PYLE Staff Writer
Howell no-hits two teams at Class 1A State Tournament
MOSES LAKE The Concrete High School softball team may have found the combination for a shot at the state title: timely hitting and plenty of Britt Howell.
Howell threw two no-hitters and the Lions scored key late runs to win two games in the Class 1A state tournament Friday and advance to the state seminfinals.
The Lions defeated Toledo 1-0 and Royal 2-0. Howell struck out 13 batters in the first game and 10 in the second, walking three opponents in the two games combined.
"This is when we need to peak, and we are," Howell said.
The Lions will play at noon today. If they win that game, they advance to the state title game at 6 p.m.; if they lose, they will play in the third-fourth place game at 4 p.m.
Lindsay Ehmke had the game-winning hit in game one against Toledo, a single over the shortstop's glove to score Howell, who had singled in the bottom of the seventh. The Lions scored two runs in the sixth inning to propel themselves past Royal and starter Ashley Baker, who had held them without a hit through the first five innings.
Left fielder Alesha Benson had the biggest hit, an RBI single to give the Lions their first run. Concrete also scored on a double steal.
"We kept our confidence and didn't let anything get to us," she said. "Last year, we let the down times get to us. This year we've kept confident."
The Lions did so despite difficult odds, overcoming two of the toughest pitchers in the tournament in the first two games.
They got past Toledo's Beth Holmes in the first game despite a 10-strikeout performance by the Toledo sophomore, then scratched out two runs against Baker, who yielded only three hits and struck out 10 Concrete batters.
"We've faced two of the toughest pitchers we've seen all year, but our bats have warmed up the more we've seen them," Concrete coach Kelly Howell said.
When the bats have warmed up, the Lions have taken advantage, luring three runs home despite only three hits in each game.
In the second game, Whitney Johnson had a single over the shortstop for the first hit of the game in the sixth inning.
Howell singled with two outs, and Benson's single scored the first run of the game.
"I knew if we kept our defense up, we could generate some offense," Britt Howell said.
The sophomore pitcher had a helping hand in two of the Lions' most important defensive plays.
In the first inning, she scooped up an elusive bunt attempt by Baker, wheeled, and threw to first for the out.
In the sixth, she made a swiping tag of Royal baserunner Mackenzie Brown at home plate when Brown tried to scamper home on a passed ball.
Notes
When Howell missed four games toward the end of the season for Concrete, coach Kelly Howell saw a silver lining. Because of Howell's high strikeout rate, the Lions didn't often get a chance to work on their defense in game situations. When Howell missed games because of an injury, he saw it as an opportunity for the team to fine-tune its defense. ... Howell was on the mound at the state tournament Friday, but the defense held up their end of the bargain. They didn't commit an error all day
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Concrete falls to Onalaska
By TREVOR PYLE, Staff Writer
Photo byGeorge Waymire
Concrete's Britt Howell fires a pitch to the plate in the Lions' Class 1A State Tournament final Saturday against Onalaska. Onalaska won the game 2-0 in eight innings. At the event, Howell pitched three no-hitters and gave up no earned runs.
Lion softball finishes second at state tournament after eight-inning loss
MOSES LAKE In the championship game of the Class 1A state softball tournament, the Concrete Lions finally ran into a pitcher as dominating and beguiling as their own.
Onalaska starter Shelly Hadaller struck out 16 batters, allowed five hits and twice wriggled her way out of trouble to lift the Loggers to a 2-0, eight-inning win and a state title.
The loss left Concrete with a second-place finish in the state tournament and ended a string of superlative performances by sophomore starter Britt Howell, who pitched three no-hitters in the Lions' first three games, including the 6-0 win over Seattle Christian that propelled Concrete to the championship game.
Howell nearly matched the 22-1 Hadaller's effort in the championship game. She gave up her first hit of the tournament when Onalaska shortstop Amanda Durand drove an inside pitch to left field for a double, but for the most part stymied the Loggers' efforts. She gave up six hits and struck out six batters.
Onalaska's two runs, which came home in the eighth inning, were both unearned.
Onalaska coach Frank Petrino saw similarities between his ace and the Lions'.
"My pitcher wears 21, and she wears 12," he noted wryly after the game. "They're practically mirror images of each other. She's going to be a great one."
He also said the Lions have reason to be hopeful, noting that Onalaska lost the championship game last year.
Hadaller wouldn't allow such a loss Saturday evening. A tough-to-catch riseball, exploding fastball and tricky changeup made it a difficult night for the
Northwest 1A All League Team
Howell nets league honor
Concrete pitcher is player of the year
Concrete softball pitcher Britt Howell has been named the Northwest 1A/B League Player of the Year.
Howell, a sophomore left-hander, led the Lions to the state championship game June 4.
Two other area players made the first team. Concrete junior Alesha Benson earned an outfield slot, while La Conner sophomore Molly Olsen got the nod at first base.
Whitney Johnson was named at Shortstop and Kasey Swanson was named at catcher on the second team.
Lindsay Ehmke and Kassy Taylor were named as honarble mention.
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Player of the Year: Softball
By ERIC FRANCIS Staff Writer
Concrete sophomore pitcher Britt Howell led the Lions this season to a state Class 1A runner-up finish.
Frank Varga / Skagit Valley Herald
Setting the standard
Britt Howell was nothing short of dominant in the state tournament
CONCRETE When it comes to the Class 1A State Softball Tournament, a record book that goes beyond wins and losses is hard to come by. Regardless, Britt Howell's performance June 3-4 at Lauzier Athletic Complex in Moses Lake will be the standard by which future pitching accomplishments are measured.
The Concrete sophomore dominated that tournament in a way few have at any level. Her three straight no-hitters and 28 consecutive scoreless innings brought the Lions to the brink of a state championship before Onalaska pushed across two runs in the eighth inning of the championship game to win the title.
"In a way, it's bittersweet," Howell said. "It's exciting we got to the championship game, but, it's like, Oh, we were that close. Eighth inning.'"
For her lights-out state tournament performance, along with a statistically dominant regular season on the mound and at the plate, Howell has been selected the Skagit Valley Herald's Softball Player of the Year.
Howell's numbers in the regular season were staggering. In 1392¼3 innings pitched, Howell allowed just two earned runs. She struck out 259 (13 per seven innings) while walking just 28 and allowing 35 hits.
At the plate, she led Concrete in nearly every category, carrying a .506 batting average, with 16 extra-base hits and 25 RBI.
Howell said her greatest improvement from her freshman to sophomore seasons was her mental approach.
"I was more of a head case," Howell said of her freshman season. "This past year I've been working on mental control, not being so frustrated out there. Last year it seemed like I concentrated a lot more on what I did out there. This year I'm concentrating more on the team. I know if I can hold it up out there, everybody else will hold up their part. I've become a lot more relaxed."
Howell's regular season was just a prologue. She struck out 13 batters in a 1-0, no-hit victory against Toledo in the first round of the state tournament. She fanned 10 Royal batters in no-hitter No. 2, a 2-0 win that clinched a spot in the semifinals.
"The first two games were so close we didn't have time to think about it being a no-hitter," Concrete coach (and Britt's father) Kelly Howell said. "It was something that was an afterthought. But I've never heard of anyone going into a state-type tournament and throwing three straight."
The third no-hitter came in a 6-0 thumping of Seattle Christian in the semifinals.
"I always look at the shutouts," Howell said. "Now, looking back, (the three no-hitters are) a lot more important than they were during the (tournament). I just knew that we won."
She surrendered her first hit of the tournament in the first inning against Onalaska, but wasn't scored upon until extra innings. Even then, the runs were unearned.
And she did it all with a pitching arm that will be placed in a cast this summer.
A stress fracture of the ulna bone in Howell's left arm started causing her pain shortly after she began throwing a riseball last year. Doctors have determined the injury was likely the result of the new pitch, which she stopped throwing weeks before the state tournament.
"We had to reinvent her pitching style, to get away from the riseball," Kelly Howell said. "She was more effective with the curveball, and her change was effective. I was pretty proud of her for being able to adapt and learning how to get people out without her best pitch."
The solution to the stress fracture is to put the arm in a cast for about eight weeks, which doesn't fit very well with Britt Howell's schedule. She traveled to Las Vegas with the Lake Breeze U-18 squad to pitch this weekend, which was just the beginning of a busy summer season.
Howell works with pitching coach Jim Grant, who has worked with several college pitchers, including Cal star Kristina Thorson.
The exposure, and experience, she gets with the Breeze will be a key in Howell's goal of playing for an NCAA Division I school. Playing at a small high school means she doesn't consistently face top-flight competition, nor is she seen by scouts.
But that's still two years and two more chances at a state title away. With just one player graduating, the Lions will be favorites to go as far as Howell's arm takes them.
"I thought this year was going to be a building year, because we had so many freshmen and only one senior," Howell said. "If this is a building year, I can't wait to see what next year is going to be."
Whitney Johnson was also named on the Skagit Valley All Area Team at shortstop.
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