Red Lake Falls Softball finishes 4th at state softball after extra innings loss to BOLD

The Red Lake Falls Eagle Softball team played a great game for seven innings and with the game tied at 1-1 going into the eighth inning, BOLD (Bird Island-Olivia-Lake Lillian) scored nine runs to pull away for a 10-1 victory in eight innings in the State Class A Softball third-place game at Caswell Park in Mankato.

FIRST INNING
BOLD’s first two batters were retired on a pop-out and a strikeout. After a nice bunt for a single, the next batter flew out to centerfield.
Red Lake Falls’ Kylie Klipping led off the bottom of the inning with a line drive over the centerfielder’s head for a leadoff double. Shandi Nelson crushed a line drive to left-center field, but the BOLD centerfielder tracked it down for a nice catch and the first out of the inning. The next two batters struck out.

SECOND INNING
The first BOLD batter struck out before Kaitlyn Flann singled. Flann was out at second on a fielder’s choice. After a walk, the next batter popped out to the pitcher.
Red Lake Falls had a big threat in the bottom of the inning when Grace Knutson led off with a walk, Layna Schindler and Ella Breiland had bunt singles to load the bases with nobody out. The net batter struck out before BOLD got an out at home on a fielder’s choice. The next batter struck out and the Eagle threat was over.

THIRD INNING
The first two BOLD batters grounded out to the pitcher before Ema Flann reached an error and Kaitlyn Flann singled. Abbygale King singled to right field. The next batter struck out.
Red Lake Falls was retired in 1-2-3 fashion with a groundout and two strikeouts.

FOURTH INNING
BOLD’s Piper O’Neil singled with one out. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second base, the next batter was hit by a pitch and Lila Beckler walked to load the bases. Coach Hanson called a timeout, and after the meeting, Klipping struck out the next batter to get out of the inning.
Red Lake Falls’ Knutson led off the inning with a single and a stolen base. Layna Schindler had a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Knutson to third. Ella Breiland laid down a bunt and Knutson tried to score on the play. Knutson slid under the tag and the ball was dropped anyway and the Eagles took a 1-0 lead.

FIFTH INNING
BOLD’s King was hit by a pitch with one out before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt. Kaitlyn King was hit by a pitch and Piper O’Neil walked to load the bases. Isabel O’Neill walked to score a run and tie the game at 1-1. The next batter struck out.
Red Lake Falls was retired in 1-2-3 fashion with two strikeouts and a deep flyout to centerfield.

SIXTH INNING
The first two BOLD batters were retired before Ema Flann singled. The next batter flew out to center field.
Red Lake Falls’ Ava Seeger walked and stole second base with one out before the next two batters were retired.

SEVENTH INNING
Red Lake Falls’ Kylie Klipping came up big in the circle as she struck out all three batters she faced in the inning and the game was tied at 1-1 going into the bottom of the seventh inning.
Red Lake Falls was retired in 1-2-3 fashion with a line out and two strikeouts to force extra innings.

EIGHTH INNING
BOLD’s Isabel O’Neil started the inning with a walk, and after a sacrifice bunt and an error, she scored to give the Warriors a 2-1 lead. Martinson singled to score a run before Ema Flann and King singled to score another run. Remer was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A pitching change was made, and the next batter was hit by a pitch to score another run. The next three batters walked to score three more runs. Martinson singled to score a run, and another batter was hit to score the ninth run of the inning for a 10-1 lead.
Red Lake Falls needed a huge comeback in the bottom of the inning and with one out, Nelson doubled down the right field line. After an out, Ava Seeger singled but the next batter hit into a fielder’s choice and the game was over with BOLD winning 10-1 in eight innings.

Red Lake Falls ends their outstanding season with a 25-6 record and a fourth place finish at state. The finish is the best in program history in their six trips to state. They say goodbye to the following seniors – Miley Cota, Shandi Nelson, Kayla Schafer, and Kylie Klipping. Nelson and Klipping will play in the All-Star game on Sunday.
BOLD ends the season with a 23-8 record while making their first trip to the state softball tournament.

Click above to listen to Coach Ben Hanson’s comments on the game and season

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	R	H	E
BOLD	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	9	10	9	0
RLF	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	6	2

Red Lake Falls–
Layna Schindler – 1 for 2
Ava Seeger – 1 for 3, walk
Grace Knutson – 1 for 3, run
Ella Breiland – 1 for 3, rbi
Shandi Nelson – 1 for 4, double
Kylie Klipping – 1 for 4, double

BOLD –
Ema Flann – 3 for 5, run, rbi, hit by pitch
Abbygale King – 2 for 4, 2 runs, rbi
Erika Martinson – 2 for 6, 2 rbi, 2 runs
Isabelle O’Neil – 0 for 0, four walks, two runs, two rbi