SELAH - Mount Baker's quest to bring home a third straight softball state trophy ended quickly Friday May 25, as the Mountaineers dropped two consecutive game at the Class 2A State Softball Tournament at Carlon Park.
After a 4th in 2003 and a 3rd in 2004, a young Mount Baker team hoped to bring something shiny back on this trip. A wild 15-14 consolation bracket loss to Sequim ended that possibility.
The Mounties opened the tourney with a 7-2 loss to semifinalist Aberdeen and then went back and forth with Sequim before finally bowing out.
The Bobcats broke open a close first-round contest with four runs in the sixth inning. That was a blow that Mount Baker couldn't bounce back from.
"I think that put us on our heels a bit," interim coach Megan Zender said. "We made some errors and we didn't come back.
"They're a good team but we had chances. We had great hits early on."
Zender - subbing for Ron Lepper - heaped praise on team leader Jordyn Lallas and her efforts to steady her young teammates in a tight game.
"She's always really focused," Zender said. "She's always trying to make sure we're making the hustle plays."
Lallas had two singles of the Mounties five hits in the first contest.
The Mounties rallied multiple times against Sequim. Mount Baker trailed 4-0 after one inning but scored six runs in the second inning.
When Sequim added seven runs in the next two innings, the resilient Mounties came back with eight runs of their own in the third, fourth and fifth innings.
"I'm really proud of the ladies," Zender said. "Every inning they battled, scratched and fought from start to finish. We haven't been here (state) in eight years so this is a big stride for them."
Demiree Briones, Sequim's outstanding senior pitcher, ended the game with an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Aberdeen 7, Mount Baker 2
Mount Baker 001 000 1 - 2 5 0
Aberdeen 002 014 x - 7 15 0
Aleks Toivola and Morgan Henry; Mo Donovan and Hannah Tovetich
Mt Baker hits: Young 1b, Compton 1b, Lallas 2 1b, Galbraith 1b.
Sequim 15, Mount Baker 14
Mount Baker 060 233 0 - 14 14 1
Sequim 452 010 2 - 15 19 1
No other stats provided
