The Garfield Bulldogs fastpitch team finished their season securing 4th place in the Washington 3A State Tournament. Despite a challenging final game against University High School from Spokane, which ended in a 17-9 loss, the Bulldogs never took their foot off the gas and rounded out the season strong throughout the tournament.
Garfield’s journey to the 4th place finish was made possible by wins against Stanwood High School and Heritage High School. However, they just barely missed a spot in the state championship game, falling to Snohomish 9-8 in a close semifinal match.
In the game for 3rd and 4th place, Garfield faced University High School out of Spokane. The Bulldogs scored consistently across several innings, with 2 runs in the top of the 3rd, 3 runs in the top of the 4th, 1 run in the top of the 5th, and 3 runs in the top of the 6th, totaling up 9 runs from 12 hits. Despite their offensive efforts, fielding errors proved costly, as the Bulldogs had 8 errors in the game.
Notable hitters for Garfield included Michelle Arimura and Joie Cunningham each with 2 hits. Lissie Hogan, Sarah Lessig, Jordana King, and Mae Valenta contributing to the team’s total hits. Lessig and King stood out with 3 hits a piece, and added on a homerun.
University High School’s offense was dominant, scoring 3 runs in the 1st inning, 5 runs in the 2nd, 4 runs in the 3rd, and 5 runs in the 6th, totaling 17 runs from 14 hits. Their defense was flawless, with zero errors recorded.
Key players for University High School included Natalie Singer and Kaidyn Howard, each with multiple hits, and contributions from Abigaile Watkins, Claire Fulkerson, Jordan Bailey, and Haley Walker.
Although the Bulldogs fell short in their final game, their performance throughout the tournament was impressive and showed Garfield’s known competitive nature. The team’s dedication throughout the season made their 4th place finish in state proof of the winning history of the Bulldogs.
