The Liberty Bell High School softball team, with its season hanging in the balance, managed a dramatic walk-off win in regional play last weekend and finished the tournament with another victory that qualified them for the state tournament.
To qualify for this weekend’s state tourney in Yakima, the Lady Lions had to play three games on Saturday (May 19), winning the two that meant the most. They took the final spot in the state tournament with their fifth-place finish.
The day started unpromisingly for Liberty Bell in the double-elimination tournament. The Lady Lions lost to Dayton/Waitsburg, 9-1, despite outhitting their opponents, 12-9. “We were unable to get out hits at the right time,” Liberty Bell coach Lee Pilkinton said.
Devin Surface pitched for Liberty Bell, and was 2-for-4 at the plate. Katie Labanauskas also had two hits, as did KanDee Sims and Madison Surface.
The next game, in the losers’ bracket of the double-elimination tournament against league foe Tonasket, was long, wild and dramatic before the Lady Lions prevailed, 18-17. That was perhaps predictable. In games earlier this season, Tonasket beat Liberty Bell 13-7, and the Lady Lions retaliated with an 18-10 win.
In the regional game, Devin Surface and Peyton Lawrence shared pitching duties for Liberty Bell against the hard-hitting Tigers. It didn’t look good early on, as the Lady Lions’ bats went cold and Tonasket surged to an 11-4 margin by the third inning.
Liberty Bell outscored Tonasket 14-6 the rest of the way, but it was the last Lady Lions’ run that loomed largest. The game was tied at 17 with Liberty Bell batting in the bottom of the seventh, with two outs. Nadine Treise was on third base and Bella Dinsmore at the plate for the Lady Lions, when the Tonasket pitcher unloosed a wild pitch. Treise dashed home for the winning run.
Devin Surface had two hits including a double, scored three runs and had three RBIs. Lawrence had three singles, scored four times and nabbed three stolen bases. Madison Surface added two hit and two runs.
Then came game three of the long day, against league opponent Lake Roosevelt, with fifth place and a state tournament berth at stake. Liberty Bell won the low-scoring contest, 4-2, with Devin Surface and Lawrence both pitching for the Lady Lions.
“Both pitchers did an outstanding job all day long,” Pilkinton said.
Devin Surface rapped out three hits and scored twice. Lawrence went 3-for-3 including a double, a run and an RBI. Janie McMillan added two hits and two RBIs.
At the state tournament in Yakima, Liberty Bell will face Northwest Christian of Colbert in the opening round of double-elimination play on Friday (May 25). Win or lose, they’ll play one more game on Friday. The Lady Lions will need at least one win to move into the Saturday brackets.
Followers of the state tournament will need to distinguish between Liberty Bell, Liberty Christian and Liberty High School, all of which are competing this week.
