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Chisago Lakes 5, St. Michael-Albertville 4
Starting pitcher Cassie Lynch and the Wildcat softball team took a 5-0 lead into the top of the sixth against St. Michael-Albertville.  An error in that inning led to four unearned runs for the Knights, but Lynch eventually shut the door.  Lynch set down the Knights 1-2-3 in the seventh and the Wildcats hung on for the 5-4 win.

Spark plug Gina Virga doubled to lead off the bottom of the first for the Wildcats.  Alison Bergerson followed with a walk.  Cassie Lynch and Madison Thornburg followed with run-scoring singles and the Wildcats led 2-0.  In the fifth, Virga walked, Bergerson lined out for the first out and Lynch walked to put runners on first and second.  Thornburg struck out.  With two outs, Kaitlyn Istvanovich singled in one run and Ellie Frischmon followed with a two-run single to give the Wildcats a 5-0 lead.

In the top of the sixth, a single, a popup and another single put Knights on first and second with one out.  An error by shortstop Bergerson loaded the bases.  The next batter popped out for what would have been the third out.  A two-run single followed to cut the Wildcat lead to 5-2.  Another two-run single brought the Knights within one at 5-4.  Lynch walked the next batter to put runners on first and second with two outs.  But the next batter popped out to Bergerson at short and the Wildcats hung on to the lead.

Lynch pitched a complete game and allowed four unearned runs on five hits, walked three and struck out eight.

Chisago Lakes 1, Buffalo 0
Cassie Lynch allowed just two hits and struck out 12 and Ellie Frischmon drove in the only run of the game with a fourth inning single as the Wildcats shut out the Buffalo Bison 1-0.  The game was played at Buffalo Thursday, July 20.
The Wildcat offense had nine hits and put two runners on base in four different innings, but only broke through in the fourth.  Madison Thornburg singled, stole second and, one out later, scored on a single up the middle by Frischmon.  Lynch, Thornburg and Jessica Bergerson had two hits apiece in the game.

Lynch got into some early trouble in this one, In the bottom of the first with two outs, a double, a hit batter and a walk loaded the bases.  But Lynch struck out the next batter to keep the Bison off the scoreboard.  Lynch walked two in the second, but came up with another two-out strikeout to end the inning and the game remained scoreless.  After that, she settled down allowed just two baserunners the rest of the way.  She allowed a single in the fourth, but struck out the side.  She walked the leadoff batter in the bottom of the seventh.  The next batter grounded out and Lynch struck out the next two batters to end the game with a flourish.

Chisago Lakes 6, Duluth Denfeld 1
The Wildcats scored all of their runs in the second inning and starting pitcher Trinity Junker allowed just three hits in five innings to lead the Wildcats to a 6-1 win over Duluth Denfeld in the first game of a doubleheader last Saturday, April 22 at Chisago Lakes High School.

Hannah Sogard was hit by a pitch to start the second, but was caught stealing.  Gina Virga followed with a single and Alison Bergerson and Cassie Lynch walked to load the bases.  Madison Thornburg singled to drive in the first two runs of the game and Kaitlyn Istvanovich doubled to drive in two more.  After Ellie Frischmon walked, Jessica Bergerson single to drive in another run and make the scored 5-0.  And with two outs, Sogard reach on an error to bring in Frischmon with the sixth run of the inning.

Junker allowed one earned run on three hits.  She walked five and struck out five and pitched her way out of jams in the fourth and fifth innings.  Lynch pitched the last two innings and was dominant, walking one and striking out three while allowing no hits.

Chisago Lakes 12, Grand Rapids 0 (5 innings)
Six wins in a row!

In the second game of last Saturday’s doubleheader, the Wildcats erupted for ten runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to blow open a close game and went on to beat the Grand Rapids Thunderhawks 12-0 in a game shortened to five innings because of the ten-run rule.  Cassie Lynch pitched the first four innings, allowing two hits and striking out four.  Trinity Junker came in to pitch the top of the fifth and finished the game with a flourish, striking out all three batters she faced.

Proving the old adage that “speed kills”, the Wildcats scored twice in the bottom of the first without the benefit of a hit.  Gina Virga walked to lead off the game and stole second.  Alison Bergerson was hit by a pitch.  With Lynch at the plate, Virga and Bergerson pulled off a double steal.  Virga scored in a passed ball, with Bergerson moving to third.  Bergerson stole home and the Wildcats were up 2-0 with Lynch, the number three batter, still at the plate with nobody out
Through three innings, Wildcat batters had just two hits and two walks.  In the fourth, they turned six hits, five walks and three Thunderhawks errors into ten runs, including six runs after two were out.  Jenna Carlson singled, doubled and drove in three runs in the inning.  Lynch had a two-run double and three other Wildcats each reached base twice. Madison Thornburg walked and singled, Kaitlyn Istvanovich doubled and walked and Ellie Frischmon walked twice.  Thornburg and Hannah Sogard each had a run-scoring single.

Softball Notes
Needless to say, the Wildcats (8-1 overall, 6-0 conference) are on a roll and hope to keep it that way.  They are in sole possession of first place in the Mississippi 8 Conference.  They will head to Monticello this afternoon to take on the Magic (2-5) at 4:30 p.m.  On Saturday, the Virginia Blue Devils (2-1) will visit Lindstrom to take on the Wildcats in a 2:30 p.m. matinee at Chisago Lakes High School.  And next Tuesday, the Wildcats will face a tough test when they welcome the Rogers Royals (5-2) to town for a 4:30 p.m. game.

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