The scoreboard doesn’t lie. But it sure can bend the truth a little bit.

The Bainbridge Spartans rolled into the 2016 State 3A Softball Championships still awash in the glow of their amazing survival through the SeaKing District tournament only to meet the team that took the shine off their trip to state last year: Meadowdale.

In last year’s state tournament, the Mavericks ended the Spartans’ play at state in round two of consolation play with a 12-4 win.

This year, Bainbridge again met Meadowdale, this time, in the first round of the championship tournament that saw the Mavericks gallop away with a 4-0 win.

Meadowdale cracked open a scoreless contest in the bottom of the third inning after junior catcher Emma Helm smacked a two-out, wind-blown double to drive in the inning’s only run.

Three more runs followed in the bottom of the sixth to seal the deal for the Mavericks, who would subsequently beat Lake Washington, Marysville-Pilchuck and finally, Enumclaw, 10-0, for the state title.

The loss against Meadowdale sent the Spartans into consolation play, where the team faced a resurgent Prairie squad that outlasted Bainbridge 8-2.

Still, the Spartans were much more impressive than the score would show.

Spartan Head Coach Haylee Baker said she was “super proud” of the way her team finished out the season.

“Compared to where we started, it was a complete night-and-day difference,” said Baker, who guided the Spartans to their 10th straight trip to the state tournament in her first year at the helm for Bainbridge High.

“To end the season that way and to show up at the state tournament and compete with the state champions at the level we did — I don’t think the score accurately reflected how competitive that game was,” she said.

Bainbridge put the pressure on Maverick pitcher Lauren Dent, and taxed the junior hurler for three hits in a season where Dent seldom broke a sweat.

“We gave them a run for the money and hit the crap out of that pitcher,” Baker said.

“If we would have been able to execute in a couple of key situations and give or take a pitch or two, we could have had that game. I was very impressed with the way we competed,” she said.

Meadowdale Head Coach Dennis Hopkins said the close affair and the challenge from the Spartans wasn’t a surprise.

The heightened level of play at the state tournament, Hopkins said, is to be expected when one considers the caliber of teams that qualify.

Indeed, it was anyone’s game through much of the fastpitch battle.

Bainbridge got a runner as far as third in the fifth inning when Spartan sophomore Olivia Ditmore reached first on a catcher’s interference call, then moved to third on a single by Sara Colley. Both runners were left stranded, however.

Things soured for the Spartans in the sixth, with two outs and runners on first and second, when Samantha Gregoryk singled in Meadowdale’s second run.

An infield hit loaded the bases, then senior outfielder Kaitlyn Webster doubled down the left field line and drove in two runs for the Mavericks.

It could have been worse, but Gregoryk was called out between third and home for going out of the baseline while trying to avoid a tag at the plate by catcher Madeline Loverich.

Colley pitched for Bainbridge and was a standout in the circle.

Hampered by a lack of movement on her pitches, she leaned on her fastball and changeup to keep the Mavericks off balance.

“The way that she was really able to paint the corners and hit her spots, she really kept them on their toes,” Baker said of Colley. “She pitched a great game and I think she’s one of the reasons we were able to compete so well with that team.”

The game finished with another surprise for Spartan fans, when senior Deahna King made her first appearance for Bainbridge after a season of injuries. She played the final two innings in the outfield and got her first at-bat.

Colley finished 1-for-3 at the plate, while teammate Kari Perry and Ditmore both went 1-for-2.

In the second game, against the Falcons, Bainbridge found itself in a 3-0 hole in the first inning.

Prairie opened the scoring on a single by Tristan St. Peter, a walk to Irene McGuire and a two-run double by Kylee Snider.

Snider eventually scored on a single by Taylor Ramey and an errant throw to the plate.

The scoring spree continued into the second, when the Falcons added two more on RBI singles by Clarissa Martinez and McGuire.

After leaving four runners on in the first two innings, including two at third base, the Spartans broke through in the third inning.

Freshman Malia Peato drew a one-out walk, sophomore Madeline Loverich doubled, and King walked to load the bases.

Freshman Kari Perry then drove in Peato on a fielder’s choice when the second baseman was late on a throw to the plate. Strikeouts by Ditmore and junior Megan Spray left the bases loaded.

The Spartans scored again in the sixth, when Perry reached third on a single and a two-base error by the centerfielder. Ditmore grounded out to short to score Perry. Malia Reidhead singled for the Spartans with one out, but was stranded at first.

Prairie put the game away in the top of the seventh when Ramey drilled a three-run homer over the center field fence, although Perry crashed through the fence in a valiant effort while trying to catch the ball.

Bainbridge started to rally in the bottom of the seventh with a walk by Peato and a single by King (in her last at bat as a Spartan), but again left the runners stranded.

Perry went 1-for-4 with an RBI, while King was 1-for-3.

Perry was a real standout player in the Prairie matchup, the Spartan coach noted.

“She made a bunch of really important key plays in the outfield, and then came up and hit,” Baker said. “She hit well in that entire tournament. It was really awesome to see a freshman step up to that.”

This year marked the Spartans’ 10th trip in a row to the state championships. Making the state tournament was a team goal this year, and for a team largely comprised of underclassmen, it seemed to be a lofty dream at the start of the season.

Baker said she was proud to see every Spartan contribute during the state tournament and play with such a high level of focus.

It’s been a long couple of weeks, she said, that ended with many of the girls fighting sickness and fatigue.

There was also the sheer size differential between the Spartans and the other teams.

“Bainbridge girls are always so small,” Baker said with a laugh. “We really have to compensate for that and hit the ball with power.”

Even so, the Spartans’ grit during the state championships bodes well for next year’s team.

“Those girls were in it to win it, and they wanted to be there,” Baker said. “They all should be very proud of themselves.”