Dogs Split At State

YAKIMA - The Dayton Bulldogs kept their bats moving and brought runs around, splitting their games on both Friday and Saturday at the WIAA softball state tournament at the Gateway Sports Complex in Yakima.

The Dogs won one game each Friday and Saturday, but also lost two, ending up in the top 8.

GAME ONE

Sometimes, a single firstinning run is all it takes to win a game and that's just what the Bulldogs got on Friday morn- ing in their matchup against the Warden Cougars.

Making things even sweeter for the winning team and its pitcher, Sam Harting, was the announcement head coach Terry Robins made to the girls in the bullpen right after their victory: Harting got a no-hitter.

"I'm ecstatic," Harting said after Robins' news. "I couldn't have done it without my team."

The team came together right off the bat. Sarah Phillips hit a single on a hard line drive to left field. Harting hit down center and the two runners loaded the bases thanks to a Warden error. Nicole Lambert walked, loading the diamond, setting up McKayla Bickelhaupt, who popped up a ball the Cougars weren't able catch. That error allowed Phillips to score the only point in the entire game.

That put pressure on Harting to keep Warden scoreless, particularly in the bottom of the seventh when she struck out the third batter with one base loaded to the jubilation of her team.

A tight Dayton defense on bases and in the outfield helped Harting's cause, leaving Cou- gars stranded in several innings. The Lady Dogs themselves ran into an equally tough defense, keeping them from scoring beyond the start of the game.

GAME TWO

The Dayton Bulldogs faced off against the Adna Pirates after their close win over the Warden Cougars, but fell, 10-0, in five innings.

The Pirates scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning shaking the Bulldogs' confidence and holding them scoreless throughout the game, ending the first inning with a score of 6-0.

The second inning was quick, with only three batters at the plate for both sides. The pace continued into the top of the third with three batters and three outs for the Bulldogs.

In the bottom of the third inning the Pirates widened the gap on the scoreboard with hits putting runners on the bases. The Pirates were able to steal home for a run leading to two more runners making it home before the Bulldogs could field the third out to retire the side with a score of 9-0.

In the top of the fourth the Bulldogs were able to put a runner on base, but unable to bring any runs home.

The Pirates put runners on the bases in the bottom of the fourth inning but were only able to bring one run around, bringing the score to 10-0 at the end of the fourth inning.

In the top of the fifth inning the Bulldogs put three batters up and had three out without hits ending the quick game with a final score of 10-0.

" We were emotionally stressed from the game this morning," Robins said. "They just weren't ready."

GAME THREE

The Bulldogs came back to the fields ready to play Saturday morning when they took down the Pateros Nannies, 16-14.

The Bulldogs proved their excitement in the first inning starting with leadoff batter Sarah Phillips move to first on a dropped third strike. Samantha Harting followed suit with a drive to the left field gap advancing Phillips to third base. McKayla Bickelhaupt brought Phillips and Harting home on a single and Jessica Tate and Darci Hall both followed suit with hits. Hall's double brought two more runs around before the side retired with a score of 4-0. The Bulldogs kept the momentum up stopping the Nannies before they could even get a runner on base in the bottom of the first. In the top of the second, Shelby Smith and Nicole Lambert both walked onto because of wild pitching and both came around to score after a hit by Bickelhaupt. The side retired with a score of 6-0.

The Nannies attempted to fight back in the bottom of the second, scoring two runs before the third out was thrown to first bringing the score to 6-2.

In the top of the third inning, the Bulldogs started a parade of runs, bringing 10 women around to score and the score to a menacing, 16-2.

The Nannies were not ready to roll over yet and retaliated with a procession of their own bringing four runs in during the bottom of the third inning and six more in the bottom of the fourth bringing the score to 16-12.

The Bulldogs were unable to bring any more runners home for the rest of the game while the Nannies were able to bring in two more runs in the bottom of the fifth before both teams came to a halt in scoring.

The game ended with two quick innings with the Nannies unable to match the Bulldogs with a final score of 16-14.

GAME FOUR

In the Bulldogs' final game of the tournament they were unable to regain the momentum they had created against the Nannies and fell to the Napavine Tigers, 15-7

The Tigers started the game off with two runs in the top of the first inning.

Neither team was able to score again until the top of the third when a Tiger run game around on an error ending the third inning with a score of 3-0.

The Tigers blew the game wide open in the top of the fourth scoring five runs against the Bulldogs before the side retired. The Bulldogs retaliated with a single from Smith and a drive to the fence by Lambert, bringing Smith around to score. A long double by Colleen Delp brought Lambert and courtesy runner Lexi Ramirez home to end the inning with a score of 8-3. In the top of the fifth, the Tigers brought two more runs around keeping the gap in scores between the teams. The Bulldogs moved their bats, but were only able to bring in one runner ending the inning with a score of 10-4.

The Tigers brought three more runs around in the top of the sixth before the Bulldogs were able to field the last out, bringing the score to 13-4.

The Bulldogs kept fighting, bringing one run around in the bottom of the sixth and the score to 13-5. In the top of the seventh the Tigers were still not done scoring, bringing two more runners in before the side retired. The Bulldogs matched the two runs with two of their own but were unable to close the score gap before the end of the inning ending the game with a final score of 15-7.

"They hit the ball fairly well for coming up against a team that ended up getting third or fourth in state but we just committed too many errors, the women were tired," assistant coach Desirae Jones said. "We gave up too many unearned runs but we're very proud of the