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Chisago Lakes 12

North Branch 2 (5 innings)

It came down to one inning....again.

Flashback to the first time Chisago Lakes and North Branch met. Leading 1-0, the Wildcats rattled off nine runs in the third innings en route to a 12-0 win in five innings. Last Thursday, almost a month later, the two teams were tied 2-2 before Chisago exploded for nine runs in the fourth, paving the way to 12-2 win, again in five innings. The similarities from game one to two were eerie.

“It was almost a spitting image,” replied Steve Fisher, Chisago Lakes head softball coach. “We got the bat on the ball, forced them to make plays and they didn’t do it.”

The Wildcats opened the game with two runs on one hit in the bottom of the first. Two innings later, North Branch netted the equalizer, tying the game 2-2 with two runs on two hits. Megan Ranger and Shannon O’Hern picked up the RBI’s.

Then came the fourth. It started with a walk to Rachel Nelson followed by an Erin Cunningham double. Andrea Nelson then knocked in Rachel Nelson with an RBI single, and the flood gates were opened. Leading 3-2, the ‘Cats scored their next two runs on a North Branch error before Katie Reed, Sarah Ploog, and Morgan Baumgard each added RBI’s. The nine-run rally was capped off by a two-run triple by Cunningham, pushing the lead to 11-2. When it was all said and done, the ‘Cats batted 13 in the inning.

“That one big inning just killed them,” remarked Fisher. “For us, it kind of ended the season on a high note.”

Why not? After scoring their 12th run of the game in the fifth, the 12-2 win moved the Wildcats final regular season record to 11-8, 7-5 in conference. As for North Branch, the loss dropped them to 3-17 on the season with sections up next.

“We just couldn’t seem to hold it together long enough to post a win,” said Larry Brodin, North Branch head softball coach. “We seem to break down and then the problems just multiply. We have to do something quick with sections starting Thursday.”

Ploog earned the win for the Wildcats on the mound while O’Hern suffered the loss. On offense, Chisago out-hit North Branch eight to five.

Chisago Lakes 12

North Branch 2 (five innings)

R H

North Branch 002 00 2 5

Chisago Lakes 200 91 12 8

North Branch-

Graff 0-2

A. Johnson 1-3, R

Ranger 1-3, RBI

O’Hern 0-3, RBI

M. Johnson 0-2

Fairbanks 1-2

Croes 0-2

Paulson 1-2

Hoppe 1-1, R

LP: O’Hern (1-8)

3 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 2 K

M. Johnson

4 H, 6 R, K

Chisago Lakes-

Reed 0-2, RBI, R

Ploog 2-4, RBI, 2 R

Baumgard 3-4, RBI, R

Novak 0-4, 2 R

R. Nelson 0-1, R

Cunningham 2-3, 2 RBI, 2 R

A. Nelson 1-3, RBI, R

Reineccius 0-2, R

Wilke 0-2, R

WP: Ploog (3-4)

4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, ER, K

Slagerman

IP, H

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