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Section Tournament

The top-seeded Wildcats opened the Section 7AAA Tournament with a 10-0 win over eighth-seeded Duluth Denfeld Tuesday, May 20 at Chisago Lakes High School.  Beating section opponents Hermantown and Rock Ridge last week solidified the Wildcats’ seeding at the top of the section.  The win sends the Wildcats to a winner’s bracket game today at Braun Park in Cloquet today at 10 a.m., with the opponent yet to be determined at our publication deadline.  A loss would give the Wildcats another game in the elimination bracket today at Braun Park.  If Wildcat move on from the games at Braun Park, they will play at Hermantown next Tuesday in one of the two brackets.  The section championship game or games will be held at North Branch High School on Thursday, May 27.

Regular Season

Chisago Lakes 12, Monticello 0

The Wildcats pounded out 13 hits and Anna Zaruba pitched a two-hitter as the Wildcats crushed the Monticello Magic 12-0 in their final home game of the season Tuesday, May 13 at Chisago Lakes High School.  Zaruba was masterful.  She gave up just two hits, walked two (one on a bad call by the umpire), and struck out nine.

Jess Dittel-Hoefler went 4-for-4, scored three runs, and drove in one.  Every Wildcat starter had at least one hit.  Melana Larson had three RBIS, and Zaruba, Annika Smith and Aubrey Perry each drove in two runs.  Dittel-Hoefler doubled twice, Melana Larson had a triple, and Zaruba and Malchow each doubled.  The game was shortened to six innings because of the ten-run rule.

Note that the game will likely officially be changed to a 10-0 win since the game was over when the tenth run scored in the bottom of the sixth.  The following two runs didn’t actually count.

Chisago Lakes 8, Hermantown 4

Jess Dittel-Hoefler had three hits, including two doubles, scored two runs and drove in two more to lead the Wildcats to an 8-4 win over the Hermantown Hawks Friday, May 14 at Rose Road Field in Hermantown.  Makenna Thorsen pitched all seven innings for the Wildcats, allowing four runs – three earned - on eight hits – walked none and struck out three.

The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead in this one.  Jess Dittel-Hoefler led off the game with a double, and consecutive singles by Anna Zaruba, Melana Larson, and Annika Malchow each drove in a run.  Rylan Sheppeck drove in a run with a groundout, and the Wildcats led 4-0. In the second Dittel-Hoefler doubled in a run and later scored on the back end of a double steal to up the Wild lead to 6-1.  The Hawks scored twice in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to 6-3.  In the sixth, Chloe Ruza tripled and scored on a groundout by Dittel-Hoefler.  Sheppeck singled with one out in the seventh and later scored on a single by Seanna Ritter.  Thorsen gave up two hits in the bottom of the seventh but got the last batter of the game to fly out to center with two outs, and the Wildcats had an 8-4 win.

Chisago Lakes 7, Rock Ridge 2

In what turned out to be their final game of the regular season, the Wildcat broke a 2-2 tie with three runs in the sixth and two runs in the seventh to beat the Rock Ridge Wolverines 7-2 Wednesday, May 14 at Seppi Field at Rock Ridge High School.

A single, a double, and an error gave the Wolverines two runs before there were any outs in the bottom of the first inning.  But Anna Zaruba struck out the next three batters to end the rally.  In the top of the fourth inning, a run-scoring single by Ryan Sheppeck and an RBI double by Makenna Thorsen tied the game at 2-2.  Thorsen double in another run in the sixth to give the Wildcats a 3-2 lead.  A sacrifice fly by  Aubrey Perry and a run-scoring single by Jess Dittel-Hoefler increased the Wildcat lead to 5-2.  Thorsen and Perry each drove in a run with a single to make the final score 7-2  Anna Zaruba pitched a complete game to pick up the win.  She allowed two runs – one earned – on seven hits, walked one and struck out ten.

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