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The Viking softball team opened the Section 7AAA Tournament by splitting two games at Hermantown Tuesday, May 22. In the first game of the double elimination tourney, Cloquet beat the Vikings 9-1. In game two, the Vikings stayed alive with a 6-0 win over Hibbing.

Cloquet 9, North Branch 1

The Lumberjacks took it to the Vikings by pounding out 13 hits and scoring two in the first, one in the third and fourth and five in the seventh. NB's only run came in the fifth. Megan Aho singled, moved to second on Maggie Johnson's single and scored on a ground out by Megan Ranger.

Tiffany Good pitched all seven innings for the Vikes and took the loss. Megan Aho went two for four to lead the Viking offense.

"We played a good defensive game," said Viking head coach Ron Trunk. "It was 4-1 going into the seventh, but too many free passes caught up with us and resulted in the five-run inning."

North Branch 6, Hibbing 0

North Branch scored two runs on one hit in the third. Megan Aho singled, Megan Ranger was hit by a pitch, and Dani Sonnenfeld, Steph Saxe and Elise Holmstrom walked to produce the runs.

Sonnenfeld scored the Vikings third run in the fifth. She was on first after being hit by a pitch. The Viking third baseman advanced to third when Kayla Obitz's bunt was mishandled and scored when Obitz was caught in a run-down.

NB added its last three runs in the sixth on walks to Alyssa Peterson, Ranger, another hit batter, two Hibbing errors and an RBI single by Sonnenfeld.

Saxe pitched a four-hit shutout for the Vikings. She struck out five Hibbing batters while walking none to pick up the win.

"Their pitcher obviously struggled in this game, walking seven and hitting three batters," Trunk commented. "We will need to continue to play well defensively and try to find some more offense if we hope to get past Cloquet in an elimination game."

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