sports

THIEF RIVER FALLS HANDS CROOKSTON PIRATE SOFTBALL A LOSS MONDAY AFTERNOON

May 16, 2022

The Crookston Pirate softball team fell 10-1 on Monday afternoon to the Thief River Falls Prowlers in a game played in Crookston.

The Prowlers got on the board in the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Sophia Kraemer got a leadoff infield single, and after stealing second base, an errant Pirates throw allowed her to advance to third base. A rbi groundout would bring her home for the game’s first run, and the Prowlers would manage one more hit but nothing more in the inning.

The Pirates would answer back in the bottom of the first to tie the game. Cassie Solheim would get a leadoff single, and after a couple of wild pitches, end up on third base. Ally Perreault would then drive her home on a rbi groundout tying the game at 1-1 after one inning of play. “Sometimes the girls get upset when they get out but they don’t see the big picture,” said Pirates Head Coach Sunny Bowman. “We need more plays like that where we get runners over and then get them in even if it isn’t from a hit.”

The Prowlers would go 1-2-3 in the top of the second, with Jenna Coauette picking up two strikeouts in the process. The Pirates didn’t fare much better in the home half of the frame, also going 1-2-3, and leaving the game tied at 1-1 after two innings of play.

Thief River Falls worked a leadoff walk in the top of the third inning, and after a single, runners were on first and second with nobody out. After a fielders choice got the lead runner out at third base, another single from Abby Flaagan would bring in a run giving the Prowlers the lead back at 2-1. Oliva Hawkins would then hit a Sac Fly to plate another run and give Thief River Falls a 3-1 lead. The Pirates would be unable to counter in the bottom of the third inning going 1-2-3, giving the Prowlers a 3-1 lead heading into the fourth inning.

Thief River Falls would again add to their lead in the top of the fourth. They would get a leadoff single from Breanna Meyers, and two batters later, Brooklyn Broadwell would deliver a 2-out rbi single giving the Prowlers a 4-1 lead. Crookston would threaten in the bottom of the frame with a 1-out single from Ally Perreault. Jenna Coauette would respond with a single of her own, but Perreault would try and advance to third and be thrown out for the second out of the inning. The next Pirates hitter would be retired and the Prowlers would take a 4-1 lead into the fifth inning.

The Prowlers would break the game open in the top of the fifth. Thief River Falls would get their first two hitters on, and Natalie Novak would drive them both in with a double to make it 6-1. After the Pirates would get the first out of the inning, the Prowlers would get three straight hits to help add three more runs and take a 9-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning. They were also able to hit through their order during the inning. “If you are scoring runs almost every inning you’re going to be a tough team to beat,” said Pirates Head Coach Sunny Bowman. “They were able to do it today and we weren’t.”

The Pirates would get a walk from Aleah Bienek in the bottom of the fifth but nothing more, and the Prowlers would add one more in the top of the sixth to take a 10-1 lead. Perreault would reach in the bottom of the sixth for Crookston via a Prowlers error, but nothing more would occur, and Thief River Falls would lead 10-1 heading into the final inning.

Jenna Coauette would get the Prowlers to go 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh, but a Reese Swanson single was all Crookston would have in the bottom of the inning, giving the Prowlers the 10-1 win.

Crookston falls to 1-8 on the season and will travel to Warroad tomorrow afternoon for a doubleheader beginning at 4:00 p.m. “You never know what you’re going to get after a long bus ride,” said Pirates Head Coach Sunny Bowman. “So hopefully the girls come ready to play and we have a good trip there and can play well.”

Thief River Falls improves to 10-4 on the season with the win.

For Crookston-
Ally Perreault 1 for 3, rbi
Cassie Solheim 1 for 3, run
Reese Swanson 1 for 3
Jenna Coauette 1 for 3

For Thief River Falls-
Abby Flaagan 3 for 4, rbi, run, 2 SB
Brooklyn Broadwell 2 for 3, 3 rbi, BB
Olivia Hawkins 1 for 1, Sac Fly, rbi, BB
Sophia Kraemer 2 for 5, 2 runs, SB