The Red Lake Falls Eagle Softball team has a 7-2 going into the seventh inning, but the Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley Wolverines scored seven runs in the seventh inning to win 9-7 in the first round of the Minnesota State Class A Softball Tournament at Caswell Park in Mankato.
FIRST INNING
Both teams were retired in 1-2-3 fashion in the first inning.
SECOND INNING
CGB’s Makayla Hennessy was hit by a pitch and stole second base. Sadie Wright followed with a single to score a run for a 1-0 lead. Red Lake Falls’ Quinnlyn Kenfield led off with a walk, and Kali Knutson singled. The next three batters were retired.
THIRD INNING
The first two CGB batters were retired before Addison Ward reached on an error. Chloe Cardwell singled, and Hannah Gary reached on an error, and a run scored on the play for a 2-0 lead.
Red Lake Falls answered in the bottom of the inning when Shandi Nelson and Layna Shindler singled, and Ava Seeger was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Quinnlyn Kenfield hit a fly ball to right field to score a run to get within a 2-1 deficit.
FOURTH INNING
Both teams were retired in 1-2-3 fashion.
FIFTH INNING
CGB was retired in 1-2-3 fashion. Red Lake Falls finally got the offense going, with Miley Cota led off with a walk. Nelson singled, and Layna Shindler hit a ground ball to the shortstop. Cota took off on contact and beat the throw home to score, tying the game at 2-2. After a strike out, Kenfield singled to score two more runs for a 4-2 lead.
SIXTH INNING
CGB’s Gary was hit by a pitch, and after a strikeout, Jordan Wright singled. The next two batters struck out.
Red Lake Falls’ Cota and Nelson led off the inning with a pair of singles. Shindler had a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third with one out. Ava Seeger singled to score a run and Kenfield singled to score two more runs for a 7-2 lead going into the final inning.
SEVENTH INNING
CGB Coach Brice Hoffman started the inning by using a pinch-hitter, and Bristol Paulson singled. The Wolverines went with another pinch-hitter, and Katrina Johnson walked. Ward singled to load the bases with nobody out. Chloe Cardwell walked to score a run, and a run scored on a wild pitch, and another run scored on an error on the same play to bring CGB within a 7-4 deficit. Hannah Gary doubled to score a run, and after a walk and an error that allowed two more runs to score, Sadie Wright singled to score two runs for a 9-7 lead.
Red Lake Falls needed three runs to win, and they had a good start when Klipping singled. However, the next three batters struck out and CGB won the game 9-7.
Red Lake Falls drops to 22-5 on the year and will play #3 seed Blooming Prairie in the Consolation semi-finals at 11:30 a.m. Thursday. CGB improves to 19-4 on the year and will play West Lutheran in the semi-finals.
CLICK HERE for Coach Ben Hanson’s comments. (Best if on a computer)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| CGB | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 1 |
| Red Lakes Falls | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 6 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Kylie Klipping – RLF (LP) | 6.0 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 10 |
| Reese Pahlen – RLF | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Wright – CGB (WP) | 6.0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 8 |
| Sadie Wright – CGB | 1.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Red Lake Falls leaders
Shandi Nelson – 3 for 4, 3 runs
Quinnlyn Kenfield – 2 for 2, 5 rbi, walk
Kylie Klipping – 2 for 4
Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley leaders
Sadie Wright – 2 for 4, 3 rbi
7 batters with one hit apiece
