The Crookston Pirate Softball team’s late-inning comeback came up short in a 6-4 loss to the West Marshall Fusion (Warren-Alvarado-Oslo and Stephen-Argyle), before they bounced back to beat the Fertile-Beltrami Falcons 15-5 in five innings in a split doubleheader at KROX Radio Stadium in Crookston.
Crookston vs West Marshall
FIRST INNING-
After the first West Marshall batter struck out, Chandler Stroble walked and the next batter lined out to center field. Stroble advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on another wild pitch. The next batter grounded out.
The first two Crookston batters were retired before Madi Bruggeman reached on an error. The next batter hit the ball off the edge of the bat and the ball was right in front of home plate and the Pirate hit the ball with her foot and was out for the third out of the inning.
SECOND INNING-
The first West Marshall batter grounded out before Hanna Stroble walked. After a pop out, Josie Johnston reached on a bloop single and runners were at first and second base. The runners advanced on a passed ball before a Fusion strikeout ended the threat.
Crookston’s Peyton Demarais and Brea Lessard drew walks with one out. After a strikeout, Leah Johanneck was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The next batter grounded out and the inning was over.
THIRD INNING –
West Marshall’s Jocie Groven led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second base on a ground out for the second out of the inning. The next batter flew out to centerfield and the half-inning was over.
Crookston’s Rilynn Aubol led off the bottom of the inning with a walk. The next three batters were retired and the game was still scoreless after three innings.
FOURTH INNING-
West Marshall loaded the bases to start the inning with a walk to Macey Boe, Hanna Stroble singled, and Rachel Wimpfheimer hit by pitch. A run scored on a passed ball and another run scored on a Josie Johnston single for a 2-0 lead.
Crookston’s Demarais walked to lead off the bottom of the inning before the next three batters struck out.
FIFTH INNING-
West Marshall’s first two batters were retired before they got a big two-out rally going. Olivia Winge singled, stole second base, and moved to third on a passed ball. Macy Boe and Hanna Stroble walked to load the bases. Wimpfheimer was hit by a pitch to score a run. Josie Johnston walked to score a run and Haley Olson walked to score the third run of the inning for a 5-0 lead.
Crookston’s Emily Bowman started the bottom of the inning with a walk. The next two batters were retired before Kambelle Freije single for the first Pirate hit of the game. Leia Parkin hit a fly ball to center field and the ball was dropped and that allowed Bowman to score from second base and Crookston trailed 5-1.
SIXTH INNING-
West Marshall’s Chandler Stroble and Taylor Wentz were hit by a pitch before the next three batters were retired.
The first two Crookston batters were retired before Brylee Darco blasted a fly ball over the center fielder’s head for a double. Emily Bowman reached on an error and Darco scored on a fielder’s choice to get the Pirates within a 5-2 deficit.
SEVENTH INNING
West Marshall added a big insurance run in the top of the inning. The first two batters were retired before Haley Olson reached on an error, stole second and third base, and came into score on a wild pitch for a 6-2 lead.
Crookston’s Freije reached on catcher inference and Parkin had a beautiful bunt for a single. Petyton Demarais followed with a base hit down the left field line to score two runs to bring the Pirates within a 6-4 deficit. The next three batters were retired and West Marshall held on for a 6-4 victory.
Crookston drops to 2-4 on the year. West Marshall improves to 1-2.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| Fusion | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| Crookston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
OFFENSIVE LEADERS –
Crookston –
Brylee Darco – 1 for 2, double, run
Peyton Demarais – 1 for 2, 2 rbi, 2 walks
Kambelle Freije – 1 for 3, run
Leia Parkin – 1 for 4, run
West Marshall-
Josie Johnston – 2 for 3, 2 rbi
Hanna Stroble – 1 for 2, 2 runs, 2 walks
Olivia Winge – 1 for 4, run
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB/HBP | K |
| Ally Wagner – Crox (LP) | 4.2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 3 |
| Brea Lessard-Crox | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Emily Bowman-Crox | 2.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| Haley Olson-WM (WP) | 7.0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 10 |
Crookston vs Fertile-Beltrami
FIRST INNING-
After Emily Bowman grounded out to start the game, Crookston had their next 5 batters reach base on 3 singles and 2 walks. Kambelle Freije and Leah Johannek each recorded RBI singles, Johannek driving in 2, and two runs would score on wild pitches to put the Pirates up 4-0 after just 7 batters came up to the plate. Then with two outs, Peyton Demerais drove in Johannek, and Ally Wagner then chipped in with a big-time triple to put the Pirates up 6-0. In Emily Bowman’s second at-bat, she ripped a single to give the Pirates a 7-0 lead, and would then score on a wild pitch to put the Pirates up 8-0, which would be the score once the inning ended.
In the home half of the inning, the Falcons looked to gain some runs back. Dani Kresl led off the inning reaching on a two-base error, and Aubryn Johnson walked. Then, with two outs, Carley Sip ripped a two-run single to put the Falcons on the board. The Falcons would go down quietly to end the inning.
SECOND INNING-
Crookston still managed some on-base traffic in the 2nd, with Freije reaching on an error and Johannek recording her 2nd hit of the game. Freije would score on a wild pitch to make it 9-2 Pirates, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the inning with no more runs across the plate.
The Falcons would get a baserunner in the 2nd with a one-out walk, but that runner would be stranded as the Falcons would be retired on a strikeout, popout and lineout.
THIRD INNING –
The Pirates put on yet another offensive barrage in the 3rd inning, capitalizing on walks, errors and interference. Wagner, Bowman and Aubol walked to load the bases, and after a popout, Freije came through, driving in 2 to put the Pirates up 11-2. After a flyout, Johannek walked, and then Brylee Darko and Peyton Demerais delivered back-to-back RBI base hits to put the Pirates up 13-2. Darko would then score on a wild pitch to make it 14-2, before a wild pitch ended the inning.
The Falcons had their best offensive performance in the game during the 3rd inning. Britta Sorenson got a one-out single, and then with two outs, Sip got a base hit, then an error by Madi Bruggeman at shortstop scored Sorenson. After that, MiMi Iverson plated 2 with a base hit, making it 14-5 at the end of the inning.
FOURTH INNING-
In the fourth, Rilynn Aubolm was the center of attention. She reached on catcher’s interference, then stole second. Bruggeman then grounded out to shortstop, and Aubol scored on a throwing error by Kresl at first trying to get Aubol at 3rd, putting Crookston up 15-5. They would be retired in order to end the inning.
After the first two Falcon Batters were retired, a base hit and a walk put two on with two out. Gracee Hendrickson got a base hit, but Aubryn Johnson was thrown out at home trying to score, ending the inning with no runs for the Falcons.
FIFTH INNING-
Crookson’s first two batters were retired in the top of the 5th, before back-to-back singles threatened even more runs. However, a groundout to 3rd ended the inning for the Pirates.
Fertile-Beltrami could only muster a leadoff single in the home half of the inning, as the next 3 batters were retired in order to give the Pirates a 15-5 win via run rule.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E | |
| Crookston | 8 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 12 | 2 |
| Falcons | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 1 |
OFFENSIVE LEADERS –
Crookston –
Peyton Demerais – 3 for 4, 2 RBI, R
Rilynn Aubol – 1 for 2, 2 BB, 4 SB, 3 R
Kambelle Freije – 2 for 4, 3 RBI, SB, 3 R
Fertile-Beltrami-
Carley Sip – 3 for 3, 2 RBI, SB, R
Aubryn Johnson – 1 for 2, BB, SB, R
Britta Sorenson – 1 for 2, BB, R
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB/HBP | K |
| Emily Bowman-Crox | 5 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 1/0 | 5 |
| Dani Kresl-FB | 3 | 8 | 14 | 10 | 6/1 | 4 |
| Britta Sorenson-FB | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 0 |
