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Chisago Lakes 15, Monticello 6

In just the second game of this snow-plagued, rain-delayed season, the Wildcat softball team’s bats came alive.  They pounded out 15 hits, including a grand slam by Courtney Preston and two-run homers by Ashley Mandell and Lily Myhre, and beat the Monticello Magic 15-6.  The Wildcats led 5-4 after four innings and blew the game open with seven runs in the fifth.  Mandell went the distance for the Wildcats.  She allowed six runs (four earned) on five hits, walked just one and struck out nine.  The game, the first of a doubleheader, was played Tuesday, April 25 at Chisago Lakes High School.

Preston and Mandell hit their home runs in the big fifth inning, and Myhre hit her dinger in the sixth.  

Preston led the Wildcats with five RBIs, and Mandell, Myhre and Melana Larson drove in two runs apiece.  Mandell had three hits, and Anna Zaruba, Larson, Chloe Ruza, and Preston had two hits each.

Chisago Lakes 10, Monticello 0

The Wildcat bats stayed hot in the second game of the doubleheader, ripping 14 more hits on their way to a 10-0 win over the Magic in the second game of the doubleheader.  The Wildcats scored four times in the first inning, and added runs throughout the game.  Melanie Anderson’s two-run double highlighted the first inning, and Leah Zaruba’s two-run single in the bottom of the sixth made the score 9-0.  Morgan Kotval had two doubles in three at bats.  Anderson drove in three runs, and Leah Zaruba had two RBIs.  Anna Zaruba was brilliant on the pitching rubber, allowing just two baserunners, - both singles – didn’t walk anybody and struck out eight.

Chisago Lakes 7, Becker 2

Ashley Mandell hit a grand slam in the top of the sixth inning to lead the Wildcats to a 7-2 win in the first game of a doubleheader against the Becker Bulldogs.  Mandell also started and went the distance for the Wildcats on the mound.  She allowed two earned runs on five hits, walked three and struck out five.  The game was played Thursday, April 27 at Becker High School.

Melana Larson singled in Sam Johnson in the top of the fourth inning to put the Wildcats up 1-0.  Becker briefly took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fifth.  Melanie Anderson singled to lead off the top of the sixth.  One out later, Courtney Preston singled.  A run scored on a passed ball, tying the game at 2-2.  Abby Sufka and  Meagan Anderson walked to load the bases.  Lily Myhre walked to drive in the go-ahead run.  Mandell then stepped up to the plate and blasted her second home run of the season, driving in four runs to make the score 7-2.  Mandell allowed three hits and a walk over the last two innings but came up with big pitches when she needed to.

Becker 4, Chisago Lakes 3

Training 4-0 entering the bottom of the seventh in the second game of the doubleheader against Becker, the Wildcats scored three times with no outs, but the rally ended there, and they lost 4-3.  

A solo homer in the top of the fourth gave Becker a 1-0 lead.  In the top of the seventh, after a one-out single, the next two batters reached on errors, pushing across a run.  Zaruba Struck out the next batter, but the batter after that singled to drive in two runs and give Becker a 4-0 lead.  A lineout to first ended the inning.  Sam Johnson and Melanie Anderson led off the bottom of the seventh with consecutive singles.  Lily Myhre followed with a two-run double to cut the Bulldog lead to 4-2.  Abby Sufka singled to drive in Myhre, narrowing the Bulldog lead to 4-3.  But Morgan Kotval and Meagan Anderson struck out, and Leah Zaruba popped out to end the game.

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