Vermillion girls� softball season ends with loss to Tri-Valley

Vermillion girls��? softball season ends with loss to Tri-Valley By Parker Knox
Sports Writer Vermillionâ�?�?s girlsâ�?�? softball varsity team couldnâ�?�?t have come much closer to winning the state tournament in Sioux Falls last weekend without actually doing so.�?  Coach Lori Jerredâ�?�?s Tanagers took out top-seeded Tri-Valley, 4-1, in their first encounter Saturday, only to lose in extra innings by 4-3 to eventual champion West Central.�? Coming back in the consolation bracket on Sunday, Vermillion ripped Tea, 12-0, to earn a spot in the third-place game.�? There the season ended with another one-run loss, a seven-inning 1-0 defeat at the hands of Tri-Valley. â�?�?We had a very strong season but just fell short at the tournament,â�? Jerred said. Three graduating seniors will be lost to the team for next fallâ�?�?s season, but Jerred will welcome back a solid group of returnees.�? Among them will be Jenny Bye and Lizzy Bye, who�? displayed strong pitching performances throughout the season, and Kayla Munger, who�? finished the year with a .550 batting average.�?  Jenny Bye and Munger earned recognition on the state tournamentâ�?�?s all-tourney team. Lizzy Bye struck out eight as winning pitcher in the tourney opener against Tri-Valley.�? Munger had two hits with a stolen base, Bri Brinkmann a double, and Molly Lecates and the Byes a single apiece. Vermillion had a 3-0 lead into the fourth inning in the West Central loss.�? Back-to-back errors allowed two runners to reach, and both scored in the fourth, then a single, a steal and a throwing error let in the tying run. â�?�?We went into extra innings with each team starting with a runner on second base,â�? Jerred said.�? â�?�?We had runners on second and third with no outs and werenâ�?�?t able to capitalize.�? West Central started the same way and scored on a long hit to left field.â�? Jenny Bye had a 3-for-3 game along with 12 strikeouts from the mound, and Munger slugged a pair of doubles.�? Brinkmann, Lizzy Bye and Laura Sappingfield each singled.�?  Sappingfield drove in three runs in the four-inning win over Tea.�? Erica Johnson and Donia Crichton each had two RBIs.�? The Byes, Brinkmann and Lecates also drove in a run apiece.�? Jenny Bye accounted for nine of Teaâ�?�?s 12 outs with strikeouts. â�?�?As quickly as our bats came to us in the Tea game, they went away in the second game of the day,â�? Jerred observed.�? Munger, Ashley Ouellette and Lizzy Bye each singled, but â�?�?we just couldnâ�?�?t get our bats to work for us in this game and came up short.â�?�?  A walk in the fourth inning turned into the gameâ�?�?s only run for Tri-Valley.