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Softball roundup: Willmar gets a home game (finally)

tom elliott, joe brown, donna middleton, west central tribune, willmar, minn.
·10 min read

May 11—WILLMAR — Construction, bad weather, including lots of rain, have kept the Willmar softball team from playing a home game this season.

That changed Tuesday with a Central Lakes Conference doubleheader against Fergus Falls.

The teams split.

Fergus Falls won the first game 13-10. Willmar won the second game, 6-5. It was called after four innings because of darkness.

"We had our first home games, which was a very odd reality of this season due to the weather," Willmar head coach Christian Brown said. "The first game was a back-and-forth game.

"I have to give credit to the team for not giving up and continuing to battle. Grace Bjur pitched a great game and we hit the ball well all-around in the first game."

Marin Enstad and Lily Reed led the Cardinal offense. Enstad went 2-for-3 with two runs, three RBIs, a walk and two stolen bases. Reed was 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI. Bjur went six innings, striking out seven and walking four. She allowed two earned runs.

In Game 2, Willmar used a four-run top of the second inning to get the early lead. Fergus Falls answered with five runs in the bottom of the inning. The Cardinals then got two runs in the third to take the lead.

"The second game was another all-around good game," Brown said. "We found a way to get some runs across the plate and had the lead going into the bottom of the fourth inning."

Willmar is now 2-5-1 in the CLC and 2-5-1 overall. Fergus Falls is 2-6 in conference play and 2-7 overall.

Willmar heads to the Concordia Academy Tournament Friday in Roseville. Other schools competing include Litchfield, Duluth Marshall, Minneapolis Roosevelt, St. Croix Lutheran Academy and St. Paul Central.

"We've been stressing that we still have a lot of the season left even though we only have two weeks left in the regular season," Brown said. "If tonight's games were any indication, I like where our team is heading.

"We are starting to find some grit and fight and as a coach, that's the kind of thing I like to see."

Fergus Falls 401 003 5-13 10 5

Willmar 001 070 2-10 10 6

Hitting — Fergus Falls: Karyssa Eberle 3-5 r-3 rbi-2 hr, Avery Knutson 1-3 r-2 rbi bb-2, Rylynn Krein 1-5 r, Kiara Grady 1-4 r hbp, Kacey Fredrickson 0-2 r-3 bb-3, Elizabeth Moxness 0-3 r-2 hbp, Madilynn Budke 3-4 rbi-3 hbp, Kellen Frigaard 1-5 rbi-2 sb ... Willmar: Lily Reed 2-5 r rbi, Cadence Parker 1-5 rbi, Zoe Schroeder 1-4 r bb sb, Alexis Owens 0-2 r rbi bb-2 hbp sb, Hailie Smith 1-3 r rbi bb, Grace Bjur 1-4, Madison Norsten 1-3 r-2 rbi hbp, Hannah Magnuson 1-3 r-2 rbi bb, Marin Enstad 2-3 r-2 rbi-3 bb sb-2

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — Fergus Falls: Eberle (W) 4.2-8-8-2-3-3, Knutson 2.1-2-2-3-0 ... Willmar: Bjur (L) 6-9-10-2-4-7, Reed 1-1-3-0-2-0

Willmar 042 0-6 3 3

Fergus Falls 050 x-5 2 1

Hitting — Willmar: Lily Reed 1-3, Amelia Reed 0-1 bb rbi, Alexis Owens 0-1 bb-2 sb, Hailie Smith 1-2 r-2 sb, Katelyn Garberding 0-2 bb, Madison Norsten 1-2 r rbi sb-2, Hannah Magnuson 0-1 r bb, Marin Enstad 0-1 r rbi bb ... Fergus Falls: Karyssa Eberle 0-2 bb, Avery Knutson 0-3 rbi, Rylynn Krein 0-1 bb, Kiara Grady 0-1 rbi bb, Kacey Fredrickson 0-0 r rbi bb-2, Elizabeth Moxness 0-1 r, Madilynn Budke 1-2 r, Kellen Frigaard 0-1 r rbi bb, G. Rollag 1-1 r rbi bb

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — Willmar: L. Reed (W) 3-2-5-1-7-1 ... Fergus Falls: Krein (L) 4-3-6-5-6-5

Evelyn O'Brien struck out 15, walked four and allowed three hits to earn the complete-game shutout for Dassel-Cokato at New London-Spicer.

"O'Brien throws fast and she has a nice rise ball," Wildcats head coach Melissa Bergeson said.

O'Brien also went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI. Hannah Corbin was 3-for-5 with an RBi for the Chargers.

Nyla Johnson was 2-for-3 and Abby Knudsen went 1-for-1 with two walks for NLS.

Dassel-Cokato 001 024 5-12 14 0

NLS 000 000 0-0 3 3

Hitting — Dassel-Cokato: Evelyn O'Brien 3-4 2b rbi-3, Hannah Corbin 3-5 rbi ... NLS: Nyla Johnson 2-3, Abby Knudsen 1-1 bb-2

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — Dassel-Cokato: O'Brien (W) 7-3-0-0-4-15 ... NLS: Emily Ruter (L) 7-14-12-10-2-6

Dassel-Cokato scored five times in the first inning and six more times in the second to beat New London-Spicer at New London.

Delaney Hanson went 2-for-4 with a double for NLS.

NLS has a Wright County Conference game at home with Rockford.

NLS 204 000 0-6 6 6

Dassel-Cokato 560 021 x-14 12 1

Hitting — NLS: Sadie Hatlestad 1-4, Emily Ruter 1-3, Brianna Wileman 1-2, Delaney Hanson 2-4 2b, RaeAnn Holmquist 1-2 rbi ... Dassel-Cokato: Hannah Corbin 2-4, Anyah Gunnigsman 2-4 rbi, Katie Rassat 2-3 rbi-4

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — NLS: Nyla Johnson (L) 5-10-13-2-5-1, Ruter 1-2-1-0-1-0 ... Dassel-Cokato: Genevieve O'Brien 3-4-6-5-3-1, Evelyn O'Brien (W) 3-2-0-0-2-5

Glencoe-Silver Lake scored four runs in the seventh to knock off host Litchfield.

Hannah Graf went 3-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI for the Panthers. Lydia Simons and Makayla Wigern each added two hits for G-SL.

Liv Olson went 2-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI for the Dragons.

G-SL 100 202 4-9 12 0

Litchfield 410 001 1-7 10 5

Hitting — G-SL: Liyah Lambrecht 1-5 2b r, Alyssa Zellmann 1-1 r, Audrey Petersen 1-3 r, Lydia Simons 2-4 2b-2 r rbi-2, Miranda Litzau 1-3 r-2 rbi bb, Makayla Wigern 2-3 2b r rbi-2 bb, Hannah Graf 3-4 2b r rbi, Callie Klabunde 1-4 rbi-3, Malayna Graf 0-4 r ... Litchfield: Ryanna Steinhaus 1-4 r, Grace Braaten 1-3 rbi, Izzy Pennertz 2-4 r, Karlee Prahl 1-4 r rbi-4, Liv Olson 2-4 2b r rbi, Britney Braph 1-4 2b rbi, Cam Iverson 1-3 r, Addi Marquardt 1-2 bb, Liv Holmgren 0-2 r-2 bb-2 sb

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — G-SL: Lambrecht (W) 7-10-7-7-3-2 ... Litchfield: Taylor Draeger (L) 7-12-9-6-2-2

Makaya Wigern threw a six-inning shutout in Glencoe-Silver Lake's victory at Litchfield.

Wigern allowed four hits and one walk, striking out five.

Izzy Pennertz was 2-for-3 for Litchfield.

Litchfield 000 000-0 4 6

G-SL 231 301-10 8 0

Hitting — Litchfield: Izzy Pennertz 2-3, Karlee Prahl 1-3, Britney Prahl 1-2 ... G-SL: Liyah Lambrecht 2-4 2b, Lydia Simons 1-3 r-2 rbi, Miranda Litzau 1-3 r-2 rbi-2 sb, Malayna Graf 1-4 r-2 sb, Hannah Graf 1-4 2b rbi sb-2, Grace Lipke 1-2 r rbi sb, Makayla Wigern 0-2 r-2 rbi bb-2, Callie Klabunde 0-2 r sb

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — Litchfield: Taylor Draeger (L) 1.2-4-5-3-2-0, Liv Holmgren 2.1-3-4-1-2-1, Liv Olson 1.2-1-1-0-0-0 ... G-SL: Wigern (W) 6-4-0-0-1-5

Holdingford built a 6-1 lead, then held on to beat Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City at Holdingford.

Haley Wilner went 3-for-4 with a double and three runs for ACGC. Tayler Hoekstra was 3-for-4 with a run for the Falcons.

ACGC 100 020 1-4 9 2

Holdingford 102 301 x-7 6 2

Hitting — ACGC: Haley Wilner 3-4 r-3 2b, Tayler Hoekstra 3-4 r, Abbie Kragenbring 1-4 rbi-2, Kendall Miller 1-3 2b, Alayna Schulte 1-3 ... Holdingford: No stats available

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — ACGC: Miller (L) 6-6-7-7-5-7 ... Holdingford: Mitchell (W) 7-9-4-3-0-7

Holdingford held Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City to one hit to sweep the doubleheader at Holdingford.

Abbie Kragenbring was 1-for-2 with a double for ACGC.

Holdingford 801 22-13 9 3

ACGC 000 00-0 1 3

Hitting — Holdingford: No stats available ... ACGC: Abbie Kragenbring 1-2 2b

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — Holdingford: Mitchell (W) 5-1-0-0-1-4 ... ACGC: Kragenbring (L) 1-4-8-3-6-2, Johnson 4-5-5-3-3-2

Taylor Hess threw a no-hitter to lead Maple Lake past Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa in five innings at Maple Lake.

Hess has committed to the University of Kentucky.

BBE 000 00-0 0 2

Maple Lake 900 1x-10 3 0

Maple Lake won its 68th consecutive Central Minnesota Conference game by beating Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa at Maple Lake.

Maple Lake 505 20-12 9 1

BBE 000 00-0 1 4

Melrose won the first game of the doubleheader at Benson

Melrose edged Benson to sweep the doubleheader at Benson.

Morris/Chokio-Alberta earned the West Central Conference victory over Minnewaska at Morris.

Rylee Sawatzky tossed a one-hitter to lead Lac qui Parle Valley over Yellow Medicine East at Granite Falls.

Sawatzky struck out nine and walked one. She also was 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and run.

Hannah Stark had the Sting's lone hit.

LQPV 100 010 5-7 6 0

YME 000 000 0-0 1 2

Hitting — LQPV: Taylor Shelstad 1-3 2b r-2 sb-2, Rylee Sawatzky 2-4 2b r, Tori Bungarden 1-4 2b rbi, Isabel Gerdes 1-2 r-2 bb sb-4, Ayanna Gipson 1-3 r rbi-2 sb-2, Rylee Lund 0-4 rbi-3 sb, Kendyl Shelstad 0-2 r sb-2 ... YME: Hannah Stark 1-3

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — LQPV: Sawatzky (W) 7-1-0-0-1-9 ... YME: Jenna Weir (L) 7-6-7-3-2-3

Rylee Sawatzky and Taylor Shelstad combined on a four-hitter to lead Lac qui Parle Valley for the sweep over Yellow Medicine East at Granite Falls.

Sawatzky went the first four innings in the five-inning win. She struck out 12 and walked two, scattering four hits and one earned run. Taylor Shelstad pitched a scoreless fifth.

YME 001 00-1 4 9

LQPV 154 01-11 7 0

Hitting — YME: Yansi Flores 1-2 rbi bb sb, Hope Stark 1-3, Bayli Sneller 1-1 bb sb, Hailey Baker 1-2 sb ... LQPV: Taylor Shelstad 1-3 2b r-2, Rylee Lund 1-4 r-2, Rylee Sawatzky 1-3 r-2 rbi, Tori Bungarden 1-4 r-2 sb, Tayler Kittelson 1-3 r-2 rbi-2 bb, Isabel Gerdes 1-1 rbi bb-2, Claire Borstad 1-2 rbi-2 bb, Maddie Matthies 0-2 rbi bb, Addy Bonn 0-2 r bb

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — YME: Sneller (L) 3-6-10-1-6-4, Abbie Winter 1.1-1-1-0-0-0 ... LQPV: Sawatzky (W) 4-4-1-1-2-12, T. Shelstad 1-0-0-0-0-0