Submitted photos – The MIST players and coaches celebrate their tournament championship in Redding on Sunday.

Sometimes it’s not how you start a tournament, but rather how you finish.

This past weekend the Mad River MIST 16/18U team traveled to Redding to compete in the Legacy Fastpitch fourth annual Starzz and Strikzz tournament and took home a championship thanks to a big showing on Sunday.

After going 0-2-1 on Saturday, the local travel club girls won all three of their games on Sunday, including a 7-4 win over the Tehama Gold in the final of the eight-team tourney.

And they did it while playing in 100-degree heat.

“The girls played hard all weekend in the heat and came home with the championship trophy,” head coach Eric Helms said.

The MIST girls barely dropped their opening game against Tehama by a score of 5-4, before tying the Siskiyous Jaxx 5-5 and then falling 6-0 to the Lil Rebels of Oregon.

With their backs to the wall, the MIST opened Sunday with a 7-2 come-from-behind win over Valley Prime and followed that with a 5-0 win over the Lil Rebels in the semifinal.

The MIST wasted no time taking control of the championship game and scored all seven of their runs in the opening two innings, including a “great slide” home by Sarah Luna, according to the coach.

And that early lead proved more than enough for pitcher Tatianna Colegrove and her defense.

Colegrove also impressed in the circle in the semifinal, holding the Lil Rebels to just two hits.

Bailey Brown led off that game with a single and was quickly advanced on a Maeghan Hampton ground-rule double.

Del Norte standout and Humboldt Sports player of the year Carlee Harper then gave the team a 3-0 lead with a booming home run to left field.

Saturday’s game were the first together for this group of players and the highlights of the day included home runs by Brown and Audrey Phillips.

Fortuna’s Myra Hayes also had a good day in the circle on day one, carrying her impressive form from the high school season over to the summer travel ball season.

The MIST and Tehama players after Sunday’s championship game.

The MIST players also showcased their composure against Valley Prime, rallying from an early 2-1 deficit with six runs in the final inning in the come-from-behind victory.

Brown got the rally started and led off the inning with a walk, before Hampton advanced her on a sacrifice and Harper brought her home on a base hit to tie the game.

The MIST bats continued to build momentum after that.

Harper, who also was named the Big 5 MVP this past spring, then advanced to second base on a Colegrove walk before reaching third base on a passed ball.

Hayes then hit a deep fly ball to bring home Harper for the go-ahead run.

Faith Helms would add a two-RBI base hit for a couple of insurance runs, before additional base hits by Kiara McGinnis and Olivia Hayes broke the game open.

Colegrove, a Hoopa graduate who is coming off an outstanding all-state season with Mendocino College, got all three wins in the circle on Sunday.

Addison Collenberg and Taylor Wade both also traveled with the team and made some key contributions over the weekend, with Wade scoring one of the early runs in the final.