The Baker Middle School softball team won its circuit championship tournament after playoffs on May 11 at Fruitland, Idaho.

The Bulldogs were the top seed, earning a first round bye before taking on the Payette Pirates and beating them 14-3. Then Bulldogs played the Fruitland Grizzlies, and took them out 20-12 in the championship game.

Baker finished with a 12-4 record, with six eighth graders moving on to high school —Hannah Sullivan, Bailey Sangster, Claire Collier, Claira Slater, Euna Knapp and Paityn Barr.

Vs. Payette

Baker pitcher Sangster doled out five strikeouts in four innings.

Sullivan claimed a double, while Sangster, Mackenzie Dennis, Slater and Grace Radabah each added an RBI.

Vs Fruitland

Baker was looking to avenge a loss to Fruitland earlier in the season.

The Grizzlies led 10-2 after scoring six runs in the top of the third inning, but Baker dominated thereafter.

“It wasn’t looking pretty, but Baker’s bats came alive in the bottom of the third,” said Brandi Sangster, an assistant to coaches Barry Spooner and Nathan Rayl.

Baker scored six runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings, while holding Fruitland to single runs in the fourth and fifth.

Collier started in the circle, giving up two hits and earning the win. Jocelyn Rayl and Sangster each pitched in relief.

In the six-run third inning that started the rally, Radabah and Rayl had RBI singles, and Collier had a two-run double.

“This was technically a home run, and would have been on any field with a fence, but due to the 6-run rule per inning, we can only count the 2 runs she batted in,” Sangster said of Collier’s hit. “Claire smoked that hit.”

Dennis had a two-run home run in the fourth.

In the fifth, Bailey Sangster tripled and drove in one run on another hit that would have been a home run on most fields.

Sadie Christensen and Dennis each scored a single and a run, and Romie Spooner drew a walk to load the bases.

“Gabby Solis singled to score a run and Euna Knapp put the dagger all the way in with a huge clutch single to drive in two runs,” Sangster said. “When Romie came across the plate for the Bulldogs that was the 6th and final run we would need.

“It was so fun to watch it all play out,” Sangster said. “This game was full of every emotion you could have in a softball game and we coaches are beyond proud of how our girls responded to adversity. All of that hitting practice we do in the off season, and all season long really paid off. It was quite a season and we thoroughly enjoyed coaching all the girls this year.”