Kuma completes unprecedented triple championship as Washington Union beats Fowler

Sydney Kuma made a bit of high school sports history Saturday in dominating fashion.

Kuma pitched a one-hitter with 13 strikeouts and Alayna Munoz followed an intentional walk to Kuma with a three-run blast, sending Washington Union past Fowler 4-0 in the Central Section Division IV softball championship game at Margie Wright Diamond.

Washington won a girls section title each season this school year: volleyball (which went on to win state), soccer and now softball.

Kuma was the star of each team. Her personal three-peat in team sports is believed to be at least a first in section history, if not the state, said section historian Bob Barnett.

Several teammates picked up their second section title: Atiana Aguilar (soccer), Mariah Holland (volleyball), Kaylee Von Flue (volleyball) and Arianna Mohammed (wrestling). And Caliska Avila was the 2017 section D-V cross country champion.

Georgia recruit

Up until this school year, Kuma’s prep career was notable for earning a commitment from Georgia of the Southeastern Conference as a sophomore (she signed last November) and her transfer mid-career from Caruthers to neighboring Washington Union.

Saturday morning’s game at Fresno State brought her full circle on the biggest section stage. As a freshman, Kuma helped Caruthers reach the D-V final where the Raiders lost 7-1 to Firebaugh. Kuma struck out 12 in that 2016 game but also walked seven and threw two wild pitches.

That wasn’t the case against Fowler. Kuma went to a three-ball count just once, and then displayed what’s new in her arsenal: the power pitcher threw a changeup for the strikeout.

What changed in four years?

“I’m not as nervous as before,” said Kuma, who is expected to be a position player at Georgia.

Fowler’s Morgan Diedrich got a push-bunt single over the head of a hard-charging Kuma in the sixth, and one other runner reached, on an error.

The Panthers carved out their first run without a hit in the fourth. Kuma, who was 2 for 2 with two walks, got a one-out triple in the fifth but was cut down at the plate trying to score on Munoz’s grounder to Diedrich at shortstop, keeping the game tight.

Then came the seventh, when the call to put Kuma on with a runner at first led to Munoz’s homer high over the center field fence – impressive since center is 220 feet, 20 feet more than most high school fields.

“I had to get a hit,” said Munoz, who said she was well aware her first at-bats had produced a strikeout, popout and the grounder to shortstop.

Fresno State connection

Washington Union (19-10) won its last 11 under first-year coach Paige Gumz, the four-year starting catcher at Fresno State (2013-16) including All-Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year in her last two seasons. Gumz replaced Denise Rich, who led the Panthers to their first section title (2010) and moved on to become the volunteer assistant coach at Fresno State.

This story was originally published May 18, 2019 at 2:38 PM.