CALDWELL — The Sandpoint High School softball team dropped its final two games at the WTP softball tournament at Vallivue High School.

The Bulldogs started their Saturday morning with a 26-3 loss to Kuna High School.

Sandpoint had the option to call the game after the second inning, but the Bulldogs wanted to keep playing in order to gain some valuable experience.

“That was something that was really exciting for me as a coach,” Sandpoint softball coach Elizabeth Hawkins-Williams said. That shows their mental toughness. They wanted to grind it out and learn everything they could.”

The Bulldogs were still quite effective at the dish with seven hits on 18 at bats.

“We hit really well,” Hawkins-Williams said. “We hit the ball hard and that was a highlight of the game for us.”

Ashlyn Darling made her debut on the mound for the Bulldogs against Kuna, throwing 70 pitches in one and a third innings.

“She hit her spots; we just weren’t getting the calls,” Hawkins-Williams said. “All the other pitchers did okay, they weren’t as sharp as I’d like them to be, but they were a lot better than it looks on paper.”

In its second game against Twin Falls, Sandpoint fell 13-3 but came out more effective following the loss to Kuna, according to Hawkins-Williams.

“We came back really strong,” Hawkins-Williams said. “We came back and played well against a well-coached and disciplined Twin Falls team.”

Cresanna Authier returned to the mound against Twin Falls and gave up 12 runs on 12 hits and struck out five on 115 pitches.

“She was able to hit her spots,” Hawkins-Williams said. “She looked really strong on the mound.”

Kaylee Brackett was 4-for-4 throughout the two games with two doubles.

“She was on fire today,” Hawkins-Williams said. “She struggled last year at the plate, so to see her hard work pay off this weekend was great. She had the highest exit velocity out of everyone.”

Sandpoint falls to 0-4 on the year and will wait a week before playing its next game against Lake City on April 12.

GAME 1

Kuna (10)(11)2 21 — 26 21 0

Sandpoint 300 00 — 3 7 2

Crone, Field (3) and Jenkins. Darling, Ducken (1), Authier (2).and Inman, Dysart (5).

HITS KUN — Ham 4, Hommele 2, Giddings 4, Jenkins, Senie 2, Vanderwill, Crone 2, Clark 2, Nelson 3. SPT — Tuinstra 2, Darling, Brackett 2, Schwenk, McCown. 2B — Ham, Giddings, Jenkins, Nelson (2), Brackett. McCown, Schwenk. 3B — Hommele,Giddings.

GAME 2

Twin Falls 200 83 — 13 12 0

Sandpoint 201 00 — 3 5 1

McMurdie and Hudson. Authier and Dysart,

HITS: TF — Rex 3, Call, McMurdie 2, Hodge 2, Fuchs 2, Boyd, Hudson... SPT — Darling, Ducken, Brackett 2, Cessna, 2B — McMurdie, Call, Brackett. 3B — Hodge, McMurdie.