RLF SOFTBALL SHUTS OUT NCE/UH 10-0 TO ADVANCE IN SECTION 8A TOURNAMENT

The #2 seed Red Lake Falls Lafayette Eagle Softball team had stellar pitching from Kylie Klipping and big hits across the lineup to defeat the #3 seed Norman County East/Ulen-Hitterdal (NCE/UH) Titans on a Thursday afternoon at the Red Lake Falls Softball fields in the Section 8A Tournament.

FIRST INNING
The Titans would have a quick 1-2-3 inning to start the game, including Kylie Klipping’s first strike out of the day. Red Lake Falls would waste no time, with a leadoff double by Jayden Breiland, followed by Shandi Nelson reaching on an error to put runners on the corners with no outs. Gabby Casavan would step up and launch a ball over the center field fence to put the Eagles up 3-0 with no outs in the frame. Quinnlyn Kenfield kept the bats going with a single and would advance to second on a fielder’s choice. With two outs, Alexis Swendra would bring Kenfield in to score with an RBI double. The inning would end with the Eagles up 4-0.

SECOND INNING
Kylie Klipping pitched another quick inning, getting another 1-2-3 inning, including striking out the last two batters looking for her second and third strikeouts of the game. The Eagles would lead off the inning with Emma Knott reaching on a ball up the middle, hitting the pitcher Anna Begg in the wrist of her non-throwing hand. Begg would stay in the game, getting an out before giving up an RBI double to Shandi Nelson and a walk to Gabby Casavan. Olivia Theis then came in relief. Theis would get the next two batters out, stranding two runners on base and the Eagles led 5-0 after 2.

THIRD INNING
The Titans got their first baserunner of the game thanks to a leadoff single from Malynn Haverkamp. But that is all Klipping would allow, striking out the next two batters and getting a flyout to the catcher to end the top half of the frame. NCE/UH looked to get their first 1-2-3 inning of the game after two groundouts to the third baseman. But the Eagles would string together back-to-back singles, followed by a 2-run triple from Breiland to make it 7-0 Red Lake Falls after three innings of play.

FOURTH INNING
The Eagles would get another 1-2-3 inning from Klipping, including her sixth strikeout of the game to keep the Titans scoreless. Gabby Casavan would lead off the bottom of the inning with her second home run of the game, making it 8-0. Kenfield would follow with a double and would score on a RBI single from Gretchen Cota giving the Eagles a 9-0 lead. Cota would come around to score on a Swendra double and the inning would end with a Red Lake Falls 10-0 lead.

FIFTH INNING
Payton Haspel led off with the second and final hit of the game for NCE/UH. Klipping bounced back with her seventh strikeout of the game. A popup to Klipping followed up with a groundout ending the game with Red Lake Falls winning 10-0.

Red Lake Falls improves to 19-3 on the year and will face Badger-Greenbush-Middle River at Greenbush for the rights to play in the Section 8A championship on Tuesday of next week. Norman County East/Ulen-Hitterdal drops to 14-9 and will face Mahnomen-Wauben in a loser-out game.

FOR EAGLES COACH BEN HANSON’S COMMENTS, CLICK BELOW

For Red Lake Falls
Gabby Casavan – 2 for 2, 4 RBI, 2 Homeruns, Walk
Jayden Breiland – 2 for 3, 2 RBI, Double, Triple
Quinnlyn Kenfield – 2 for 3, 2 Runs, Double
Emma Knott – 2 for 2, 2 Runs, Walk

For Norman County East/UH
Payton Haspel -1 for 2
Malynn Haverkamp -1 for 2