In their fifth NWAACC Softball Championship appearance in as many years, the Bellevue softball team traveled to Portland, OR, May 15-17, and ended up going 2-2 for the weekend, tying for their best finish at the tournament.
The 2009 North Region champion Bulldogs landed a #1 seed into the tournament, but had to face a tough #4 seed in Mt. Hood in game one. That game was a pitcher’s duel as Bellevue’s Michelle Ruby (North Region Pitcher of the Year) and Mt. Hood’s Lauren Hadenfeld both kept the other team’s offense at bay most of the game. Mt. Hood scored the lone runs to take the game 3-0. Mt. Hood eventually went on to win the Championship, their first ever.
The Bulldogs found their bats and came back to beat Green River 9-0 in their second game on Friday to stay alive in the tournament. Lauren Reid picked up the win for the Bulldogs, as Megan McLachlan and Deavonnie Spadoni both hit homeruns in the contest.
On Saturday morning in game three, a loser-out contest, the Bulldogs faced Shoreline – a North Region rival and the team that finished this season second behind Bellevue in the North. Once again, the Bulldogs needed a victory to stay alive in the tournament. Bellevue scored first and held the lead the entire game, winning 4-1. Michelle Ruby threw a four-hitter, while Lauren Reid hit a homerun to lead the Bulldogs in the victory.
Later Saturday, the Bulldogs faced Southwest Oregon in their fourth game of the tournament. In a classic pitcher’s duel, BC’s Michelle Ruby and SW Oregon’s Annaleisha Parsley both threw shutouts through six innings. Bellevue finally notched a run in the seventh when Lauren Reid scored on an RBI single by Ruby, but Southwest Oregon rallied for two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning to win the game 2-1.
“I was very happy with the way the team played this weekend,” said Head Coach Leah Francis. “It was one of the best performances I have seen at the NWAACC tournament. We were in every ball game and put ourselves in the position to win all the games – we just did not get the ball to bounce our way when we needed it to. Both our losses were to very good teams. The team made me proud with their play this weekend and all that they have accomplished this year. It has been a great season!”
Last Updated January 29, 2014
