On just the second pitch, Ella Kinkelaar lined a triple off the leftfield fence and before WSS completed its first at-bat, they were on top 4-0. Karlie Bean and Gabby Vonderheide had RBI singles, another run scored on a ground out and the fourth run crossed the plate on a double steal.

The Lady Bulldogs got one of those back in the bottom of the inning. Cameron Rios led off with her first of four hits. She stole second, but was thrown out trying to advance to third. Addie Wernsing then walked and scored when Lucy Fearday’s high fly ball dropped in leftfield for an RBI double.

Rios added a run-scoring single in the second to make it 4-2, but the Lady Hatchets then scored three times in the third. One came home on a bunt and the other two were driven in when Sam Porter delivered a two-out single.

St. Anthony has base runners in every inning but the seventh. And they managed to add single tallies in the fourth, fifth and sixth. The Lady Bulldogs just couldn’t get the big hit that would have led to multiple runs in any inning.

Rios had another RBI single in the fourth, a wild pitch allowed a run to score in the fifth and Wernsing delivered a run-scoring base hit in the sixth.

But the Lady Hatchets added two runs in the fifth, four more in the sixth and a final tally in the seventh to pull away and clinch the tournament title.

Bean, who lasted just three innings in the game last week, pitched all seven Tuesday. She allowed 12 hits and five runs, while walking three and striking out six.

“We knew what she had. We just didn’t make the adjustments,” Walsh noted. “We weren’t as disciplined at the plate as we needed to be. But they played with the momentum. They flat out came ready to play and we didn’t.”

Bean had three hits and pair of RBI, while Vonderheide had two hits and three RBI to lead the WSS attack.

In addition to the four hits by Rios, Fearday had three and Alexis Stephens two for SAHS.

Fearday started and took the loss. She went the first four innings and gave up six hits and eight runs. She walked one and struck out two. Stacie Vonderheide and Sydney Kibler also pitched for the Lady Bulldogs.

“Reaching the championship game was great,” Walsh said. “Sometimes as coaches, we tend to overlook some things, but I don’t want to do that. I’m proud of these girls and how far they’ve come this year.

“There are always hills and valleys in every season,” Walsh added. “Honestly, we’re right there. I believe we’re on the uphill rise.”

The Lady Bulldogs dropped to 14-8 on the season. But they still have a great chance to claim the NTC regular season title. They are 5-0 in league play with two games left. St. Anthony will play Thursday at Neoga and then finish conference play next Tuesday at Dieterich.