Granite Falls loses 2A district softball title game

Published 12:11 am Saturday, May 23, 2009

LYNDEN — Megan Dunton may throw a little slower than some other high school softball pitchers, but that might not be a bad thing. Dunton’s one-hitter lifted the Anacortes Seahawks to the Class 2A District 1 softball championship on Friday, defeating the Granite Falls Tigers 2-0 in 11 innings.

“To be honest, we struggled with how slow the pitcher was. It slowed our pace down and our explosiveness,” Granite Falls coach Candi Reeves said. “It can really throw you off.”

Both pitchers played well. Dunton threw the one-hitter, while Granite Falls starter Alyssa Arndt gave up just five hits and struck out 16 Anacortes batters.

“She was phenomenal. As the game goes on she gets tougher and tougher,” Reeves said of Arndt.

Both pitchers kept the opposing team from having a legitimate scoring opportunity for the first eight innings.

Then the international tiebreaker kicked in, where each team begins their half of the inning with a runner on second base.

The scoring opportunities became more frequent. Anacortes had the first opportunity, when they started the top half of the ninth inning with Tara Bellusci on second base. An Anacortes bunt moved her to third which set up the opportunity for a suicide-squeeze with just one out. Maria Roney laid down the squeeze attempt which went directly to Arndt. Arndt threw home to catcher Peyton Spencer and narrowly got Bellusci out.

In the bottom half of the ninth Sarah Hensley started on second base for the Tigers. Arndt’s bunt moved Hensley to third base, to set up the Tigers’ best scoring chance of the day. Spencer hit a grounder, but Anacortes nailed Hensley trying to score at home.

In the top of the 11th inning, Anacortes finally got on the board. Madison Bundy started on second base, and was quickly moved to third on a Bellusci single. Arndt threw a wild pitch which allowed Bundy to score and Bellusci to move to third base. Sara Brennen then singled in Bellusci to give the Seahawks a 2-0 lead.

Granite Falls could not come up with a run in the bottom of the 11th inning, and Anacortes claimed the District Championship.

“It was such a dog fight, back and forth, it is heart breaking as a coach,” Reeves said. “I’m not disappointed to lose the game, were all heartbroken. My heart goes out to them when you fight and fight and fight.

“The biggest part of sport is to win with modesty and lose with style and my girls did that,” Reeves added.

Granite Falls still earned a trip to state with its district run. As did Anacortes, Burlington-Edison (3rd) and Blaine (4th). Blaine eliminated Cascade Conference No. 1 seed Archbishop Murphy with a 5-3 victory Friday.

The state tournament begins Friday in Selah and Reeves is looking forward to Granite Falls being there.

“These are schools that could almost be a 3A team,” Reeves said of Northwest Conference teams. “It’s going to boomerang us into state with all kinds of confidence.

“We aren’t just happy being there, we are going there to win,” Reeves said. “These kids have more heart than I have seen in a long time.”

At Bender Fields

Consolation Bracket, loser out

Blaine0002201—562

Archbishop Murphy1010001—343

Dudley and Kingslien. Allen and Homes. WP- Dudley. LP- Allen. 2B- Dudley (B) 3B- Trueblood (B). Records- Blaine 12-9 overall. Archbishop Murphy 19-3.

Championship

Anacortes00000000002—251

Granite Falls00000000000—014

Dunton and Roney. Arndt and P. Spencer. WP- Dunton. LP- Arndt (19-3) Records- Anacortes 19-4. Granite Falls 19-3 overall.