Red Lake Falls Softball loses heart-breaker to West Lutheran in State Semifinals

The #2 seed Red Lake Falls Eagle Softball team had bases loaded with nobody out in the sixth inning, but a confusing play and situation was called a triple play, and #6 seed West Lutheran held on for a 4-0 victory in the Minnesota State Softball semifinals at Caswell Park in Mankato.
West Lutheran’s four runs that scored reached on walks (two) or errors (two).

FIRST INNING
West Lutheran started the game with two walks. After a groundout moved the runners to second and third base, Grace Rolf walked to load the bases. Evelyn Valleau singled to centerfield to score two runs for a 2-0 lead. The next batter struck out before a walk and another strikeout.
Red Lake Falls’ first two batters were retired before Kylie Klipping walked. Her courtesy runner, Aubree Payment stole second base and advanced to third base on an error. The next batter struck out.

SECOND INNING
The first two West Lutheran batter struck out before Kailey Oppitz reached on an error. The next batter tried to bunt, but Klipping fielded the ball and threw to first base for the third out.
Red Lake Falls was retired in 1-2-3 fashion with a groundout, flyout, and a strikeout.

THIRD INNING
West Lutheran’s Grace Rolf reached on an Eagle error to start the inning, but the next three batters were retired on a popout to first base and two strikeouts.
Red Lake Falls’ Halle Seeger led off the bottom of the inning with a walk. After an out, Layna Schindler reached on a fielder’s choice with both runners safe. Shandi Nelson grounded out and the runners moved to second and third base, but the next batter grounded out to end the Eagle threat.

FOURTH INNING
West Lutheran’s Emelia Roeber led off with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. After a strikeout, the next batter reached on an error that allowed a run to score to give the Warriors a 3-0 lead.
Red Lake Falls’ Ava Seeger walked with one out, but the next two batters were retired.

FIFTH INNING
West Lutheran’s Valleau reached on an error, Bostic singled, and Vik walked to load the bases. The next batter struck out for the second out of the inning, but Julia Roeber singled to score a run for a 4-0 lead.
With one out, Red Lake Falls’ Ella Breiland laid down a bunt and reached on a hit, but the throw to first went over the first baseman’s head and she advanced to second base. Breiland moved to third on a groundout, but the next batter popped out to end the inning.

SIXTH INNING
The first two West Lutheran batters singled, but the second batter tried to stretch the single into a double and was thrown out at second. The next two batters were retired.
Red Lake Falls’ Klipping laced a line drive to the fence for a double, and Grace Knutson walked. Ava Seeger singled to load the bases. Then all heck broke loose. Kayla Schafer hit a line drive back to the pitcher. The umpires say she caught the ball before it hit the ground for one out. The pitcher threw to first to get the second out, and with all the confusion of whether the ball was caught or not, the runner at third base was said to have left early and didn’t tag up for the third out of the inning. The umpires huddled and called down two supervisors to talk with them, and after several minutes, it was decided that it was a triple play and the inning ended without Red Lake Falls scoring a run.

SEVENTH INNING
West Lutheran was retired in 1-2-3 fashion with a groundout and two strikeouts.
Red Lake Falls needed four runs to keep the game going, and with one out, Halle Seeger walked. The next two batters were retired with a strikeout and a groundout, and West Lutheran won the game 4-0.

Red Lake Falls drops to 25-5 on the year and will play BOLD in the third-place game at 1:30 p.m. at Caswell Park in Mankato on Thursday. KROX will have the game with the RiverView Health pre-game show at 1:00 PM. We will give updates of the Section 8A championship game, which starts at 2:00 p.m., and join that game in progress after softball.
West Lutheran improves to 18-5 on the year and will play United South Central in the championship on Friday night at the University of Minnesota campus.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
W. Lutheran	2	0	0	1	1	0	0	4	5	2
Red Lakes Falls	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	4

Red Lake Falls–
Kylie Klipping – 1 for 2, double, walk
Ava Seeger – 1 for 2, walk
Ella Breiland – 1 for 3

West Lutheran-
Julia Roeber – 1 for 2, rabbi
Marissa Tussler – 1 for 3, walk, run
Eleanor Rolf – 1 for 4
Evelyn Valleau – 1 for 4, 2 rbi, run
Claire Bostic – 1 for 4