OLYMPIA — Lyla Casterline and Grace Glaser started their high school varsity softball careers in a very similar fashion.
The two incoming sophomores — Casterline an Olympia Bear and Glaser a Timberline Blazer — were seldom utilized on veteran rosters. Glaser saw 14 plate appearances in the spring, while Casterline saw 15.
But the youngsters are flashing their potential at the club level this summer with Xtreme Fastpitch 14U. Both Casterline and Glaser were key cogs for the squad Friday at Yauger Park as Xtreme handedly defeated Cats 14U of Aberdeen 11-3 on the opening day of the bracket round of the Cascades National Championship.
Glaser went 2 for 3 at the plate with three RBIs and two runs scored, while Casterline hit a triple out of the leadoff spot and scored a pair of runs. This club season, which dates back to mid-March, Casterline is batting .438, which ranks second on the team, while Glaser is hitting .377, and they’ve both been getting stronger at the plate since summer tournaments began.
Casterline is looking to prove that she can be an everyday rotational player for Olympia next spring. While there’s plenty of difference between the 14U club level and the 4A South Puget Sound League, she’s growing more confident in her game this summer in preparation for more opportunities with Oly.
“I’m not looking for the perfect pitch. Just looking for a good strike,” Casterline said of her approach at the plate. “Practices have really helped me. My coaches are really good and know what they’re talking about.”
Casterline, who started playing softball at the age of 7, has bounced around positions on defense but enjoys center field the most. She started at shortstop Friday afternoon and was one of the most consistent communicators on the field, a strength in her game that has grown recently, despite being in a relatively new position defensively.
“I think I’ve been doing that really well this year. Last year, I needed to work on it. But I’ve really nailed that this year,” Casterline said of her communication. “It’s helpful when all the other girls are talking too. It’s really a team effort and a good dynamic.”
Against a gauntlet of talented young SPSL pitchers who will undoubtedly terrorize the league for years to come, Olympia could use all the bats it can get in 2027. A stellar summer is the first step to Casterline becoming a fixture in the Bears lineup.
“I’ve known the Oly coaches for a pretty long time. I just need to keep my attitude up and show them that I know how to hit and how to field,” Casterline said. “I didn’t get a lot of playing time as a freshman on varsity, but I got the experience at practices.”
Glaser had limited reps on a stacked Timberline team that endured a deep postseason run concluding one game shy of a state trophy. A roster that includes Puget Sound League MVP and Central Arkansas commit Nevaeh Haagen, PSL Nisqually Player of the Year Kayleese Dorfner, and All-Area and All-PSL selections Porsha Miller and Brynnli Mayr will add a talented freshman class in 2027.
But Glaser’s consistent batting this summer gives the Blazers coaching staff a good problem to have: they might have too many capable hitters and not enough places in the lineup to put them. Outfielder Sophia Wiggs graduated in 2026, which could bump Glaser, who defended her center field spot well for Xtreme Friday, up into the depth chart.
Xtreme is three wins away from taking the 14U crown. The team is into the Cascades Nationals quarterfinals and will take the Yauger Park field at noon Saturday for a spot in the semifinals.
PNW Force Fastpitch 14U - Pine is also competing in the 14U division and went 1-1 Friday, bouncing back from an 8-7 walkoff loss to Firecrackers 14U in its opener to win 7-6 against Flame 14U - Barnes in a come-from-behind thriller. PNW Force trailed 6-0 after two innings to Flame and scored five runs in the fourth and two in the fifth to pull off the comeback. The Olympia-based squad will return to Yauger Park Saturday at 8:30 a.m.
