The Crookston Pirate Girl’s Softball team’s comeback fell short in a 13-12 loss to the Northern Freeze in a game played in Greenbush in the Agassiz Valley Conference Championship Night.
Northern Freeze got the scoring going in the top of the first inning with the leadoff batter getting hit by a pitch and that was followed with two singles to score a run. Another run scored on a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.
The Freeze added six more runs, all with two outs, in the top of the second inning. The big hit was a three-run home run from Jadyn Johnson and the Freeze led 8-0. “Other than that second inning, that big inning that has been a curse to us, we played very, very good and had some good defense,” explained Pirates Head Coach Sunny Bowman.
Crookston finally got on the board in the bottom of the second inning when Emily Bowman walked and came into score on an Addie Fee single to bring the Pirates within an 8-1 deficit. “There were some really great plays on both sides,” said Coach Bowman. “This was just a great game to play.”
The Freeze answered with two more runs in the third inning with another two out rally. A walk, an error followed by back-to-back singles and a bases loaded hit by pitch scored two runs for a 10-1 lead.
Crookston finally got the bats warmed up in the bottom of the third inning. “Mentally this was the inning where we realized we aren’t done,” said Coach Bowman. Amber Cymbaluk led off the inning with a single. Jenna Coauette and Reese Swanson walked to load the bases. Emma Boll singled to score a run and after an out, Aleah Bienek continued to swing a hot bat with a single to score two runs. Another run scored and Crookston trailed 10-5 after three innings of play. “We decided that inning to go all out and I think they went all out,” added Coach Bowman.
After Crookston kept the Freeze scoreless for the first time in the top of the fourth inning, they added two more runs in the bottom of the inning. Kenze Epema led off with a walk and was followed by walks to Cymbaluk and Coauette. Cymbaluk scored on a wild pitch and another run scored on a Swanson ground out to get within a 10-7 deficit.
The Freeze got back on the board in the fifth inning with a two-RBI double for a 12-7 lead.
Crookston answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Bienek and Emily Tate led off the inning with singles, and Fee walked to load the bases with nobody out. “Aleah, it’s her first year out and her hits were like ‘holy buckets’ and that was great to see,” exclaimed Coach Bowman. Epema grounded out and a run scored and Cymbaluk hit into a fielder’s choice and another run scored. Another run scored when Swanson hit into a fielder’s choice and the Pirates trailed 12-10 through five innings.
The Freeze added an important insurance run with a single and an error in the sixth inning for a 13-10 lead.
Crookston needed four runs to win the game in the bottom of the seventh inning. Crookston started the inning with a single, a walk, and another single. The first two runners were retired but a run scored on a wild pitch and another run scored on an error to get within a 13-12 deficit with two outs. The next batter struck out looking and Northern Freeze held on for a 13-12 victory.
Crookston ends the regular season 4-16 and will play Roseau in a Section 8AA play-in game at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 1. The winner of that game will play the #1 seed Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton at 5:00 p.m.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| Northern Freeze | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 16 | 2 |
| Crookston | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 11 | 2 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
| Jenna Coauette- Crookston | 7.0 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 3 | 2 |
| Zoey Magner- Northern Freeze | 7.0 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 5 |
For CROOKSTON
Amber Cymbaluk – 4 for 5, 3 runs, RBI
Addie Fee – 2 for 3, 2 walks, run, RBI
Aleah Bienek – 2 for 4, 2 RBI, run
For Northern Freeze
Jadyn Johnson- 2 for 3, home run, double, 7 RBI, run
Eylie Homme – 3 for 5, 4 runs
Rhiannon Horien – 3 for 4, 2 RBI, 2 runs
Reese Rustad – 3 for 5, RBI, run
