MADRAS — It was an uphill battle, Madras coach Joe Dominiak said, but on Wednesday, with a 4-2 Class 4A Tri-Valley Conference baseball win against Molalla, the White Buffaloes secured a spot in the 4A play-in round.

“I told the kids, ‘It’s not how you start or where you’re predicted (to finish),’ ” Dominiak said. “ ‘It’s where you finish.’ ”

Devon Wolfe went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, Jack Fine was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI, and Madras (13-10 overall, 7-7 TVC) did just enough to earn third place in the conference.

Robert Fine pitched a gem for the Buffs, Dominiak said. Although Fine only struck out three, the senior kept Indian batters off balance throughout the contest en route to a complete-game win.

“Guy’s just been coming on these last few weeks,” Dominiak said, noting that Fine picked up the save on Monday as well as the win on Wednesday. “This is a good week for him.”

In other Wednesday action:

Softball

Summit 9, Crook County 3: The Storm snapped a three-game losing streak as Jacqueline Manley held the visiting Cowgirls to just four hits in the Intermountain Hybrid contest. Summit (4-18 overall) exploded for 11 hits in the first of its three games against Crook County (10-14). Raja Char went 3-for-4, Morgan Watts was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Alex Popp finished the day 2-for-4 and scored two runs. The Storm led 4-1 in the top of the third inning of the second game before the contest was suspended because of lightning. On Friday, the two teams will meet in Prineville and pick up where they left off before their third and final game of the series.

Bend sweeps Mountain View: The visiting Lava Bears squeaked by the Cougars 6-4 in the first game of an Intermountain Conference doubleheader before defeating Mountain View 13-7 in eight innings in the second contest. In that matchup, the Bears and Cougars went into the eighth knotted up 6-6, but Bend (15-8 overall, 6-2 IMC) put up seven runs in the top of the inning en route to the victory. Mountain View dropped to 3-21 overall and 1-7 in IMC play.

Molalla 8, Madras 6: MOLALLA — A destructive third inning that saw the White Buffaloes commit three errors and hit two batters proved too much to overcome for Madras. Molalla only recorded six hits in the Tri-Valley Conference victory, but the Indians benefited from three unearned runs. Azur Rice went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Shelby Mauritson was 1-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Buffs (14-11 overall, 6-8 TVC).

Perrydale 8, Culver 2: CULVER — The Bulldogs’ losing streak is now at six games after falling to the Pirates in Class 2A/1A Special District 3 play. Culver (3-19 overall, 2-8 league) managed just four hits and was charged with five errors. Sara McKinney led the Bulldogs with an RBI double.

Baseball

Summit 12, Crook County 3: PRINEVILLE — The Storm banged out 12 hits and took advantage of seven Cowboy errors to cruise to victory in the Intermountain Hybrid contest. Tyler Mullen went the distance on the mound for Summit (14-11 overall), scattering seven hits, while Duncan MacDougall had three hits and three RBIs to lead the Storm on offense. With the loss, Crook County fell to 8-17 on the season.

Girls tennis

White Buffalo ousted in district quarterfinal: PORTLAND — Madras’ Itzel Romero lost 6-0, 6-2 to La Salle’s Eliza Minculescu in the championship quarterfinal round of the Class 4A/3A/2A/1A Special District 2 championships at Portland Tennis Center. The Madras doubles team of Wendy Galan and Lorena Alonso won a consolation quarterfinal match before falling in the semifinal round. The Galan/Alonso duo beat Olivia Richardson and Johanna Wilborn of Blanchet Catholic by an 8-1 score in the quarterfinals, then lost 8-3 to Molalla’s Molly Danforth and Bronwyn Horn. Also in consolation play, the White Buffaloes’ Pali Kaloi Jordan won a quarterfinal match over Santiam Christian’s Rachael Van Beek, 8-1, then fell 8-2 in a semifinal against Philomath’s Zoey Snyder.

Boys tennis

Madras pair eliminated at districts: PORTLAND — The tandem of Caleb Freshour and Alexsis Penaloza strung together three straight wins in the doubles bracket of the Class 4A/3A/2A/1A Special District 2 championship, but they were denied an OSAA state championship berth in the quarterfinals, losing 6-0, 6-2 and ending Madras’ season. Kody Turner and Jesus Vazquez lost in the first round of the doubles championship bracket, but won their next three matchups in the consolation bracket to advance to the finals. That is where the road ended for the pair, however, as they fell 6-4, 6-3.

Boys lacrosse

Bend 8, Sisters 5: Bend High advanced to the High Desert League final with a playoff win over Sisters at 15th Street Field. Brandon Fitzpatrick scored three goals to lead the Lava Bears, who trailed 2-0 early but rallied to lead 5-3 by halftime. The match was delayed for 30 minutes by lightning early in the second half. James Rockett and Cade Hinderlider scored two goals each for Bend, Geoff Mouser added a goal, and Rockett and Hayden Baney had two assists as the Lava Bears improved to 11-5. For the visiting Outlaws (7-10), Isaiah Glatz scored three goals, Mitch Keranen and Jens Stadeli scored one apiece, and Zach Valoppi and Gabe Rietmann each had two assists. Friday at Sisters stadium, Bend will play Summit in the HDL final at 7 p.m. Sisters will play Harney County for third place and the league’s No. 3 seed to state starting at 5 p.m.

Summit 16, Harney County 3: The Storm earned a spot in the High Desert League championship game with its rout over Harney County at Summit High. Cole Gaines led the HDL regular-season champions with five goals. Griffin Reinecke added three scores and Dylan Smith and Dylan Seefeldt contributed two goals apiece in the game that was delayed three times because of lightning. Summit (12-7 overall) plays Bend High at Sisters stadium on Friday at 7 p.m. for the league’s No. 1 seed in the Oregon High School Lacrosse Association state playoffs.