The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

YAKIMA - It wasn't a championship game, but it felt like one.

Up against the team that ended up winning the 2B title, the Dayton softball team's tenacity pushed the Saturday evening game against Toutle Lake into extra innings. It wasn't until the 9th that the Ducks fi­nally pierced the Bulldogs' defense and broke the tie in what home spectators described as one of the best games of the state tourna­ment.

In the end, Dayton went down 5-1 against Toutle Lake but won against Asotin on Sunday before falling to Napavine in the game that ended the Lady Dogs' season. The final tally: two wins and two losses, and placement in the top eight, just short of a trophy.

It was the third year in a row the Bulldogs made it this far at state, and the team should be proud, head coach Terry Robbins said.

"They were focused the whole weekend and played well in every game," he said. "We had opportunities against Toutle Lake but we just couldn't get across the plate."

The tournament began well for Dayton, which faced Orcas Island on Sat­urday and rolled past them, 5-2.

"It was a great opening game," assistant coach Des Jones said. "The girls played very focused and didn't let the jitters get to them."

Dayton scored first with two runs in the fourth inning and another three in the fifth. Orcas Island answered in the fifth with one run and an­other in the seventh. At 6-3, the Lady Dogs had twice as many hits as the Vikings, and only two errors. Pitcher Sam Harting struck out eight batters.

The Lady Dogs knew the evening game against Toutle Lake, which placed second at state last year, would be tougher. The Ducks scored the first run in the first inning and Bulldog McKayla Bick­elhaupt's solo home run tied up the game in the second.

It turned into a standoff after that, with Dayton going toe to toe with the eventual champs.

" They played tough against what ended up be­ing the best team in the state," Jones said. "The girls pushed this team and challenged them and almost came away with a win."

Jones and Robbins said the Dayton players loaded the bases during several of the unfolding innings, but could not convert, and nei­ther could Toutle Lake. The tie forced the game into extra innings and the Bull­dogs finally succumbed to the Ducks in the top of the 9th. Both teams had seven hits, but only Toutle Lake's turned into runs.

"We were all very proud of what they accomplished that night, regardless of the end score," Jones said. "This was the best game the girls have played."

Dayton shook off the loss and squared off against league rival Asotin on Sun­day. The Lady Dogs were up one after the first inning. They then unleashed a bar­rage, scoring14 runs on 14 hits against the Panthers in the second.

"The girls were very fo­cused and came out ready to hit that morning," Jones said.

So well did the starters do that Robbins and Jones reached into the bench to "play some of the younger girls who had not seen any post-season action up until that point," Jones said.

Eight Bulldogs had multiple hits to lead Dayton to a 17-3 win. Senior Jessica Tate led with four hits. Harting, Bickelhaupt and Sarah Phil- lips each had three hits. Malia Frame, Lexus Ward, Kellie Moore and Caitlyn Robins had two hits.

Things did not go as well against Napavine. The Bull- dogs were first to score with a Lexi Ward single that brought home fellow pitcher Harting, giving Dayton a tenuous 1-0 lead. But Tigers' pitcher Mackenzie Olson would not let the Bulldogs score again despite hits from Frame, Harting and Sami Bledsoe.

"I think the ladies just ran out of steam by the time this fourth game came around," Jones said.

In the third inning, Napavine scored first with two runs. Then they loaded two bases before Tiger Kar- lee Bornstein hit a homer to put her team up 5-1.

The Tigers were able to score two more with another home run in the sixth and the Lady Dogs never recovered.

"You're never pleased when you lose," Robbins said, noting the girls shed a few tears after their last game of the season. "But when they got on the bus they had smiles on their faces and laughed all the way home."

Jones said the Lady Dogs "played four great games" with "great pitching, hitting, and strong defense." Phil- lips, Bickelhaupt, Harting and Torry Johnson all won sportsmanship awards.

The team loses four seniors: Harting, Bickelhaupt, Frame and Tate. But new talent is waiting in the wings among the rising freshmen and Ward, a strong pitcher to replace Harting.

"We'll be strong again next year," Robbins said.