The Rossville Bulldawgs overcame a sixth seed to claim the Class 3A state softball title, outdualing Santa Fe Trail 2-0 Friday in Manhattan. 
 
The Bulldawgs put to rest a 23-year title drought, as well as some painful memories from their most recent trip to state. Last year, they lost in extra innings in both the semifinal and consolation rounds, the latter a 2-1 loss to Trail in 11 innings in the third-place game.  
 
“Our goal was to get back here and finish it,” Rossville third-year head coach John Nitsch said. “I knew we were good enough to win it. We just needed to come finish it.” 
 
Rossville got by third seed Columbus 19-7 and second seed Southeast of Saline 6-4 to reach the championship game.  
 
“Last year we just didn’t perform the way we knew we could have,” junior shortstop Kinsey Perine said. “It just means everything that we came out this year and turned it on. We know that at the state tournament seeds don’t matter. You’ve just got to go play your game.” 
 
“We always like it when we’re the underdog. We don’t care,” Nitsch said. “These girls just don’t ever give up. We always talk about there’s ups and downs, but we’ve just got to keep playing our game.” 
 
Rossville senior Brinley Dyche outdueled Santa Fe Trail junior Kaelee Washington in the tense final contest. Washington struck out 13 and gave up just four hits while Dyche struck out 10 and allowed just two hits. 
 
“Brinley is just incredible,” Nitsch said. “She’ll just go toe-to-toe with anybody around. I’m going to miss having her out there next year. She’s a bulldog for sure.” 
 

 
Nitsch was forced to use Dyche in long relief in the semifinal game. But he stuck with his plan to start her in the final game, and she held up despite pitching 16.1 innings over three games in a 21-hour span. 
 
“I just went out and pitched like I knew I could pitch,” Dyche said. “I was confident the whole time. I never thought about coming out. My arm is tired, but I can’t really feel how tired it is. The adrenaline is going, so it doesn’t even hurt actually.” 
 
The only offensive production by either team in the championship game came in the top of the third when Perine singled in Ryan Leathers. She dashed to second on the throw home, then stole third. A squeeze bunt brought Perine sliding in with the insurance run just ahead of the throw. 
 
“It felt really good when we got those two runs,” Nitsch said. “I figured if we put two up, if we kept pitching and playing defense the way we do, it might be enough. I felt good when we got two up on (Washington) because she’s a tough one to score on.” 
 

 
Santa Fe Trail reached the final game by knocking off top-seed Haven 2-0. Washington struck out 19 in the semifinal and blasted a two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning for the only runs of the game. 
 
Haven defeated Southeast of Saline 8-3 in the third-place game Friday. 
 
A year ago, Santa Fe Trail finished third in the 3A tournament, defeating Rossville in the consolation contest. 
 
We had a great season,” said Santa Fe Trail coach Brenda Dahl. “I told the girls that this is one step further than last year. We were so excited, but we were not satisfied.  
 
“To be honest, our bats struggled down the stretch this year. We just found a way to pull games out in dramatic fashion. And we just ran out of that. We didn’t have that in us today. But credit to Rossville. They are a great team, and we knew that coming in.”  
 

 
The Bulldawgs roughed up the Chargers early in the season, winning 9-1 and 12-2 at Rossville. 
 
“We knew they were going to see a better team than what they saw (in us) earlier in the season, and we did give them that today,” Dahl said.

Santa Fe Trail finished the season with a 21-4 record, three of the losses to Rossville. Rossville's title capped a 20-4 season in which the Bulldawgs lost only to 4A state champion Wamego in a split, handing the Red Raiders their only loss, Hayden and Silver Lake (twice), avenging the losses to the Eagles in the regional finals.