The Alliance softball team had their final hurrah at districts on Thursday and Friday, October 6 and 7. For the first time in the team’s history, the team made it to the second day of districts.

The softball team played their first game of day one versus the McCook Bison. The Bulldogs lost their grip on the Bison by the sixth inning where McCook scored six runs, ending the game. The final score of the game was McCook 11, Alliance 4. This game featured big hits from Sariah Grant, Courtney Little Hoop, Elise Stoike, and Samantha Carrillo.

With a loss in the first game, the Bulldogs went on the play the Lexington Maids for their second game of the day, the deciding factor in which team would stay, and which team would go. The game was a tight race, even right down to the last swing, pitch, and last out made. Grace Tolstedt pitched all eight innings for the Bulldogs, only allowing four runs off of seven hits made by the Maids. Grace Tolstedt, Samantha Carrillo, and Brandi Seebohm lead the Bulldogs in hits, while Carrillo also lead the team in runs batted in by three. The Bulldogs won their second game of the day, 9-8, leading them straight into the deciding third game of the day against the Gering Bulldogs.

Both Bulldogs put up good fights, all the way down to the end. Tolstedt, Carrillo, and Isabel Aguallo lead Alliance with nine hits and five runs batted in combined. In the final inning, Alliance scored three extra hits to give them their final push, while Gering scored four, still leaving Alliance with the win. Alliance secured at least one game in day two with a 11-9 win over the Gering Bulldogs.

Alliance started off day two with a bang against the Scottsbluff Bearcats. The game really took off for the Bulldogs in the fourth inning. Russell and Johnson on base with two outs, and Tolstedt up to bat. With Tolstedt up to bat, Scottsbluff went into her bat with intentionally walking her. On the third pitch, right up the middle, Tolstedt smacked it out of the park, literally. Making this her sixth home run of the season, Tolstedt scored in both runners on base and herself. The Bulldogs won the first game of day two, run ruling the Bearcats, 10-2. The Bulldogs would then move onto the semi-finals against the Gothenburg Swedes.

Neither the Swedes, nor the Bulldogs really took off in the game until later in the game. The Bulldogs scored one run in the first inning, and their other two runs in the fifth. The Swedes scored their first run in the third, two runs in the fourth, and their final two runs in the sixth. Neither team could get a solid bat on the ball. Alliance had big hits by Russell, Acosta, Little Hoop, and Tolstedt. The Bulldogs fell short to the Swedes, 5-3 in six innings. By losing in the semi-finals, the Bulldogs placed third in the B-6 district.

Although falling short of being the district champions, the Alliance Bulldog softball team made it further than ever before. The 2016 softball team made history for not only the school, but the team. Congratulations to the players, coaches, and seniors. You guys made everyone proud and anxious for what is to come.