Sports - High Schools

POSTED: Saturday, May. 30, 2009

PREP SOFTBALL: Two losses doom Borderites

SELAH - Plenty of gains were made and goals accomplished on the Blaine Borderites circuitous route to their first fastpitch softball state tournament.

But the dream of a trophy in the highly competitive 2A classification fell by the wayside quickly Friday, May 29, at Carlon Park as Blaine was eliminated from state play after losses to Woodland and Sequim.

Blaine finishes its season at 12-12. The Borderites last trip to a softball state tournament was the last of three straight trips to the slowpitch state tournament in 1990.

The Borderite offense couldn't get untracked and three hits in 13 innings was far too little to keep Blaine alive in the tournament.

The Borderites believed themselves to be battle-tested and pitching primed after surviving a season in the highly competitive multi-classification Northwest Conference, but they ran into two of a seeming battalion of talented young pitchers in the Class 2A ranks.

First it was sophomore Emily Holt of Woodland who struck out 13 Borderites and blasted a two-run homer to power the Beavers to a 10-0, six-inning triumph.

The Borderites hung with Woodland into the sixth inning of the first game before an everything-that-could-go-wrong combination of hits, walks and fielder's choices in the sixth and the Beavers ended it with eight runs.

Holt's rocket-shot home run to dead left field in the fourth inning seemed like it was going to be enough to move the Beavers into the winner's bracket. Cami Pearson had preceeded Holt 's blast with a flare to right field.

Caitlin Dudley, Blaine's contribution to the deep 2A pitching ranks, more than held her own on the day. She kept both opponents largely at bay, falling victim to a single big inning in each game.

In the consolation round, Blaine ran into freshman Demiree Briones who mixed an outstanding change in with good control and limited Blaine to just two sixth-inning hits in a 7-2 win.

The scorching Yakima Valley weather did its share to slow the Blaine attack as well. Both players and coaches noted that playing back-to-back in the 90-degree-plus temperatures took a toll.

Despite the losses, the future looks bright for Blaine.

"By the time we got here we felt like we were one instead of 11 or 12 players," senior Molly Dudley said. "Making it here was the chance of a lifetime for us and it was our second goal for this year.

"The first was districts and we did that. Now we know we can do this."

Another senior, Janelle Gobbato, was equally upbeat.

"We came together and came here as friends not as 12 separate players," senior Janelle Gobbato said. "I would do this again in a heartbeat."

WOODLAND 10, BLAINE 0 (6)

Blaine 000 000 - 0 1 1

Woodland 000 208 - 10 7 2

WP: Emily Holt. LP: Caitlin Dudley. Highlights: Blaine: Gobbato.

SEQUIM 7, BLAINE 2

Sequim 101 004 1 - 7 9 1

Blaine 000 002 0 - 2 3 1

WP: Briones. LP: Cailtlin Dudley