Bulldogs bounce Bears to extend season
SANDPOINT — Freshman Bri Baldree pitched a complete game six-hitter, and also banged out three hits and scored the winning run, leading the No. 2 seed Bulldogs to an 8-7 win over No. 3 Moscow in the loser-out game of the 4A Region 1 softball tournament on Thursday at Sandpoint Middle School.
Baldree struck out six, and the resilient Bulldogs (11-13) erased a 2-0 deficit, a 5-4 deficit and a 7-6 deficit, plating the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
There’s nothing like a loser-out game to tighten the nerves, and the Bulldogs showed a lot of resolve to extend their season another game.
“My team fought every inning to win, realizing if we lost we were done,” said head coach Elizabeth Hawkins-Williams. “This is the hardest I’ve seen them fight all season. They’re becoming a true team, recognizing that everyone on the team has value.”
Sam Holland had a double, Alison Calvert two hits and Morgan Bluemer two RBIs, as Sandpoint out-hit the Bears (5-18) by an 11-6 margin. With the score tied at 7-7 in the final frame, Baldree led off the inning with a triple, then scored on an RBI groundout from Holland to end the game.
“Bri was mentally tough the whole game,” said Hawkins-Williams. “She was really pushing herself to get into scoring position and executed when it mattered.”
The Bulldogs will now have to beat No. 1 seed Lakeland (8-14) twice to punch their ticket to state. After splitting with the Hawks in the regular season, the Bulldogs lost 11-1 on Tuesday.
“We have to match them hit for hit, and then out-play them on defense,” said Hawkins-Williams, whose team was out-hit 11-3 by the Hawks.
Sandpoint travels to Lakeland on Saturday, with first pitch at noon. If Sandpoint wins, a second game will be played at 2 p.m.
Moscow 200 302 0 — 7 6 2
Sandpoint 040 210 1 — 8 11 2
Bri Baldree and Sam Holland; Carscallen, Dreesman and McCoy. W — Baldree. L — Dreesman.
HITS: Spt — Martin, Bluemer, B. Baldree 3, Ward, Holland, Tomazich, Merritt, Calvert 2. 2B — Holland. 3B — Baldree.