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RED LAKE FALLS SOFTBALL FALLS TO SW/MN CHRISTIAN IN EXTRA INNINGS, BUT BEAT MENAHGA IN STATE TOURNAMENT

June 9, 2022

The Red Lake Falls Softball team battled the SW/MN Christian Flying Dutchmen in the opening round of the State Tournament on Thursday afternoon from North Mankato. The Eagles were the #4 seed coming into the tournament while the Flying Dutchmen were the #5 seed. The game was a pitching duel all afternoon, and the Flying Dutchmen finally outlasted the Eagles in extra innings for a 3-1 win.

The Eagles would respond in the consolation bracket and defeat the Menahga Braves 11-1 in five innings thanks to strong pitching and two home runs from Gabby Casavan. They will now play Wabasha Kellogg tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. for the Class A State Tournament Consolation Championship.

RED LAKE FALLS VS SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA CHRISTIAN –
The Flying Dutchmen wasted no time scoring, getting a leadoff single from Ana Veldkamp, who then stole second and third base, and was driven in by a 2-out Makenna Moss double for a 1-0 lead. The Eagles would threaten in the bottom of the first with a two-out single from Gabby Casavan who would then steal second base to get into scoring position. However, the Flying Dutchmen starting pitcher Paris Van Dyke would induce a groundball, and the Eagles threat was over.

Bella Amiot would put up a scoreless second inning for Red Lake Falls striking out three more batters and bringing her total to 6 through just two innings. The Eagles would get a leadoff single in the bottom of the second inning from Greta Philipp but two strikeouts and a groundout would end the inning giving SW/MN Christian a 1-0 lead through two innings of play.

Each team would get one hit in the third inning and leave a runner stranded on third base, keeping the score 1-0 in favor of the Flying Dutchmen after three innings of play.

Bella Amiot continued her incredible performance on the mound striking out the side once again in the top of the fourth inning bringing her total to 10 in the game. The Eagles bats were again silent in the home half of the inning, going 1-2-3 and keeping SW/MN Christian in front 1-0 with three innings remaining.

Amiot once again delivered a 1-2-3 top of the fifth inning for Red Lake Falls, and they finally broke through offensively to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Hailey Broden would reach second base on a 2-out error by the Flying Dutchmen left fielder, and Jayden Breiland would slap a single right back up the middle to score pinch-running Shandi Nelson and tie the game at 1-1.

Each team would go scoreless in the sixth inning, carrying the game over into the final inning in a tie at 1-1. The Flying Dutchmen had a golden opportunity in the top of the seventh inning to take the lead, as Morgan Pap drew a leadoff walk, and Maddie Feikema slapped a double down the left-field line to put runners on second and third base with just one out. Eagles Coach Ben Hanson would take a mound visit for the Eagles and whatever he said seemed to work, as Bella Amiot would strike out the next two hitters and get the Eagles out of the jam.

Red Lake Falls would need just one run to win the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Paris Van Dyke would pitch around a leadoff walk and put up a zero, sending us to extra innings.

SW/MN Christian would score two runs in the top of the eighth inning to take a 3-1 lead, forcing the Eagles to need two runs to keep the game going. Red Lake Falls would get back-to-back 1-out singles from Bella Amiot and Gabby Casavan, putting the tying run on base. After a groundout moved the runners up to the second and third base with two outs, Van Dyke would end the game with a strikeout, advancing the Flying Dutchmen into the State Semifinals and putting Red Lake Falls in the consolation bracket where they’ll play Menahga tonight at 7:00 p.m. from North Mankato.

GAME 1	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	R	H	E
SW/MN Christian	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	3	8	1
RLF	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	6	0

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
Bella Amiot – RLF (LP)	8	8	3	3	3	14
Paris Van Dyke – SW/MN Christian (WP)	8	6	1	0	1	9

For Red Lake Falls –
Jayden Breiland 1 for 3, rbi, Sac Bunt
Gabby Casavan 2 for 4
Hailey Broden 1 for 3
Bella Amiot 1 for 4
Greta Philipp 1 for 4

For Southwest Minnesota Christian –
Ana Veldkamp 3 for 4, 2 runs, 3 SB
Alyde Vande Griende 2 for 4, rbi, run
Makenna Moss 2 for 4, 2 rbi

RED LAKE FALLS VS MENAHGA –
The Eagles offense exploded in the first inning for 5 runs to take a commanding lead. Jayden Breiland led things off with a single, and after a Braves error brought her around to score, Gabby Casavan would hit a two-run home run to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead. Quinnlyn Kenfield would then single and after back-to-back errors by the Braves, come around to score making it 4-0. The Eagles would get one more run in the inning and take a 5-0 lead after the first.

In the top of the second Menahga would get one run back with a leadoff double from Michaela Skoog, and a rbi single from Aili Anderson, to cut the deficit to 5-1.

The Eagles immediately added to their lead scoring four more runs in the bottom of the second inning. Bella Amiot led off with a single, and Quinnlyn Kenfield would knock her in with a rbi single making it 6-1. The Eagles would load the bases with two outs and Alexis Swendra would draw a walk making it 7-1, and after another Braves error, two more runs would come across giving the Eagles a 9-1 lead after two innings of play.

Both teams would go scoreless in the third inning leaving the game at 9-1 in favor of Red Lake Falls after three innings played.

Gabby Casavan continued to put in a solid performance on the mound, working around a leadoff error and putting up another zero in the top of the fourth inning. The Eagles would tack on one more run in the top of the fourth inning after Sarah Wieland reached on an error, and Jordan Wieland who courtesy ran for her scored on a rbi single from Hailey Broden. That made it 10-1 Red Lake Falls after four complete.

The Eagles would keep Menahga scoreless in the top of the fifth inning and need just one run in the bottom of the frame to win the game in five innings due to the run rule.

FOR RED LAKE FALLS COACH BEN HANSON’S COMMENTS, CLICK BELOW