SIOUX FALLS, SD — As a Tigard High School freshman, Kayla Saldana helped lead the Tiger softball team to a second place finish in the final Pacific Conference standings.

In the summer following her freshman year, Saldana helped the Northwest Blaze live up to its name.

The Blaze, an ages 14UA ASA softball team, won five of eight games at the 14UA National Championships and finished ninth in a field of 114 teams from 30 different states.

Saldana mostly played at second base for the team, which also featured players from Beaverton, Hillsboro, St. Helens, Banks and Portland.

The Blaze kicked off its adventure on July 30 with a 3-0 loss to Texas' Impact Gold, the eventual third-place finisher in the tournament.

In game two on July 31, the Blaze broke through to knock off Florida's Wellington Wild 7-2, a result highlighted by MaKenna Partain's grand slam in the third. Partain's blast broke open a scoreless game, and Abby Greer recorded the pitching win and Macy Besuyen went 3 for 4 at the plate with an RBI.

The Blaze rolled again on Aug. 1, first hammering the Brandon Rage of South Dakota 18-0 in three innings, then knocking off Nebraska state champion Sizzle Blue 11-9 later in the day.

Saldana helped lead the way In the win over the Rage, pounding out multiple hits while also driving in three runs. Tiara Langshaw, Besuyen, Kelly Meeuwsen, Partain, and Madison Soper all had big days at the plate.

Mariah Mulcahy came back strong against Sizzle Blue, pitching all seven innings and allowing nine hits and just two earned runs.

In winners' bracket play on Aug. 2, the Blaze won its fourth straight game, this time beating Texas' Katy Cruisers 7-2. The Blaze offense got rolling early, posting six runs in the first two innings, with Meeuwsen and Partain both going 3 for 4 at the plate with a double.

After a one-day weather delay, the Blaze returned to the diamond on Aug. 4 and won its fifth straight by beating the Texas Fusion 9-0 to win a spot in the tournament quarterfinals.

The rest of Saturday was not so kind, with Team Arizona — the eventual National runner-up — getting away early to posting a 12-1 victory. Arizona raced out to a 4-0 lead, outhit the Blaze 13-5 and sent the team into the losers bracket. Saldana had a hit in the contest.

Finally, facing seventh-place finisher Sudden Impact of Texas, the Blaze bowed out with a 7-1 loss.