Kimberly rallies to win state 3A softball title at Ramsey

COEUR d'ALENE - Nellie Makings pitched three straight shutouts to lead the Kimberly Bulldogs back from the loser's bracket to win its third 3A state softball tournament in the past four years Saturday at Ramsey Park.

Kimberly (29-1) beat Buhl 16-0, then beat Fruitland 1-0 and 12-0 in the championship round.

Makings also drove in three runs on the day, giving her 14 for the tournament.

"I wasn't confident we could beat them twice," Makings said. "As soon as we won the first game, we got some confidence as a team to win the second game."

"This is a great place for a tournament," Kimberly coach Rich Bishop said. "The town is beautiful and the rain held off long enough to get the tournament in. It's fun to come up here and play. Obviously, winning makes the bus ride home a lot more enjoyable."

"We ran into a big hurdle today with Kimberly," Fruitland coach Joe Gastanaga said. "They played fabulous and did a fabulous job today. Right now, I'm at a loss for words. Our kids traveled well to Coeur d'Alene for the tournament. We just ran into a wall. Kimberly deserved to win."