The Washington Demons will begin their postseason journey tonight when they host Central Lee in the Class 3A Region 8 softball quarterfinals, a game you can hear on KCII. Washington closed a solid regular season by winning nine of their last 11 games and comes into tonight with a record of 23-12, the most wins the Demons have posted in a season since they won 31 games a decade ago.

Washington’s success is thanks largely to a fearsome top part of the lineup. Freshman Leighton Salazar is one of the best lead-off hitters in the state, as her .548 batting average, 68 hits, 13 doubles and 56 runs scored all rank top-five in the state in 3A. Sophomore Ella Greiner has been just as good in the two hole, hitting .486 with eight doubles, five home runs, 39 runs batted in and 38 scored.

Greiner has been at her best of late, as she’s currently in the middle of a 25-game hitting streak. Mix in the power of eighth-grader Colbie Greiner, who’s also swatted five homers and is batting .351 with 36 RBI, and it’s easy to see why the Demons are the sixth-highest scoring team in all of 3A. But head coach Ben Obermann tells KCII Sports that the lineup’s secret sauce actually lies outside the top four hitters.

“Coming into this season, we knew we had to try and develop some depth,” Obermann says, “and we’ve seen a lot of girls take that next step this year. We want to have quality at-bats. We don’t care how we get on base, as long as we get on base. When you have Leighton and Ella at the top, it really sets the table for us. But to be a really good offensive unit and score a bunch of runs, you have to have depth.”

Washington will face an opponent with equal offensive might this evening in Central Lee. Only two teams in 3A have scored more runs than the Hawks, who are 21-9 this season. The power of junior Shanna Buford and freshman Kenna Sandoval is spectacular, as the pair have combined for 15 homers and 52 total extra-base hits.

Central Lee also boasts the best team batting average in the state in 3A, with all nine starters hitting better than over .312. But the Demons were able to mostly neutralize that firepower in a 14-4 victory on the Hawks’ home turf back on June 20th.

Washington will look for another victory against Central Lee and a spot in the 3A Region 8 semifinals, and you can hear all the action this evening on 106.1 FM KCII. Coverage begins with the Dino’s Pizza & Steakhouse Pregame Show at 6:30.