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Chisago Lakes 7, Cloquet 6

In the opening game of the Section 7AAA softball tournament, Rylan Sheppeck singled with one out in the bottom of the tenth inning to drive in Jesa Leritz to give the fourth-seeded Wildcats a 7-6 win over the fifth-seeded Cloquet Lumberjacks on Tuesday, May 19 at Chisago Lakes High School. The win sent the Wildcats to a championship bracket game against the Rock Ridge Wolverines.

With one out in the bottom of third inning, Jesa Leritz bunted for a single to score Kayla Larsen with the first run of the game. Cloquet took a 5-1 lead with one run in the fourth and four in the fifth. With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Annika Smith lined a single to right to score Jess Dittel-Hoefler, cutting the Cloquet lead to 5-2. Sheppeck reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the sixth and ended up on second. She scored on a single to right by Annika Machow.  Angel Palmer hit a fly ball to left that was dropped by the left fielder for an error. One out later, Molly Luoma lined a single to right to score pinch runner Seanna Ritter and sending pinch runner Ella Smith to third. Luoma stole second. Jess Dittel-Hoefler singled to center to score both runners, and the Wildcats led 6-5. A Cloquet batter homered to center with one out in the top of the seventh to tie the game at 6-6. The Wildcats loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the inning, but Luoma grounded out to second for the third out, sending the game into extra innings.

The Wildcats loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth. Sheppeck flew out to short center field for the second out, and Ritter struck out to end the inning. Dittel-Hoefler doubled to open the bottom of the tenth. Leritz was intentionally walked. Smith dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third, and Smith reached first to load the bases. Addy Corey hit grounder to second, and the throw home forced out Dittel-Hoefler for the first out of the inning. Sheppeck stepped up to the plate and singled to right to score Leritz with the winning run.

Aubrey Perry pitched all ten innings for the Wildcats to get the win. She allowed six runs – only three earned – on ten hits, walked three and struck out 12.

Rock Ridge 11, Chisago Lakes 2

The top-seeded Rock Ridge Wolverines broke open a close game with six runs in the bottom of the third and added three more in the fourth on their way to an 11-2 win over the Wildcats on Thursday, May 21 at Braun Park in Cloquet.  The loss sent the Wildcats into the elimination bracket of the Section 7AAA tournament, while the Wolverines stayed in the championship bracket.

The Wildcats led 2-1 heading into the bottom of the third. The Wolverines took advantage of five hits and two hit batters to score six runs and take a 7-2 lead. In the fourth, three hits and a Wildcat error led to three more runs, and Rock Ridge now led 10-2. They added one more run in the sixth to make the final score 11-2.

Chisago Lake 3, North Branch 2

In a Section 7AAA elimination game, the Wildcats beat the third-seeded Vikings 3-2 to advance to the elimination bracket semifinals. The loss ended the season for the Vikings. The game was played Thursday, May 21 at Braun Park. Makenna Thorsen started and pitched a complete game for the Wildcats. She allowed two runs – one earned – on eight hits, walked none and struck out four. Alyssa Rediske took the loss for the Vikings. In six innings, she allowed three earned runs on six hits, walked one and struck out one. Abby Pfeifer walked three in one scoreless inning of relief.

Jess Dittel-Hoefler beat out a bunt down the third base line to open the first inning. Jesa Leritz laid down a sacrifice bunt and, as third baseman Tori Thurmer threw to first, Dittel-Hoefler hustled all the way to third and scored on Annika Smith’s groundout to second to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead. Aubrey Charpentier lined a single to right to lead off the bottom of the inning for the Vikings. Kaytlin Hammond sacrificed her to second. But Wildcat catcher Rylan Sheppeck threw out Charpentier trying to steal third for the second out of the inning. Thurmer lined a double to left. Pfeifer grounded a single to center to score Thurmer, tying the game at 1-1.

With the score still tied 1-1, Smith walked to lead off the top of the sixth and Addy Corey sacrificed her to second. Sheppeck tripled to center to score Smith. Annika Malchow grounded out to short, and Sheppeck scored to give the Wildcats a 3-1 lead. Pfeifer reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the sixth. Morgan Mann fouled out to right fielder Smith, and Pfeifer tagged and made it to second. One out later, Ellcey Johnson grounded a single to center to score Pfeifer, cutting the Wildcats lead to 3-2. Ava Groholski worked the count to 2-2 but popped out to first to end the inning.

In the top of the seventh, reliever Pfeifer walked the bases loaded with two outs. On a 3-1 count, Addy Corey grounded to shortstop Kaytlin Hammond, who flipped the ball to second for the third out. Hammond doubled to center with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. But Thurmer grounded out to second to end the game and end the season for the Vikings.

Chisago Lakes 11, Duluth Denfeld 2

The Wildcats scored in every inning but the fifth and crushed the Duluth Denfeld Hunters 11-2 in a Section 7AAA elimination game, advancing to the elimination bracket final. The loss ended the season for Denfeld.  The game was played Tuesday, May 26 at Braun Park.

The Wildcats scored eleven runs on just nine hits and three walks and were helped along by six Denfeld errors. Kiara Frederixon had the only extra-base hit for the Wildcats, a sixth-inning double. Aubrey Perry earned the complete game win for the Wildcats. In seven innings, she allowed two earned runs on five hits, walked two and struck out 12.

Hermantown 6, Chisago Lakes 4

In the Section 7AAA elimination bracket final, the Wildcats came from four runs down to tie the game at 4-4, but the Hermantown Hawks scored single runs in the fourth and sixth innings to beat the Wildcats 6-4. Two of the Wildcats’ three errors in the game led to three unearned runs for Hermantown. The loss ended the Wildcat season and sent the Hawks to tonight’s section championship against the Rock River Wolverines at Braun Park.

Hermantown’s leadoff batter Avery Beranek reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the first, and two of the three Hawk runs in the first were unearned.  Beranek reached on an error with one out in the bottom of the second and later scored to make the score 4-0. Ryan Sheppeck  and Anika Malchow singled to lead off the top of the fourth. Addy Corey hit a grounder to short. Pinch runner Brenna Twohy was forced at second, but Sheppeck scored all the way from second on the play, cutting the Hawk lead to 4-1. Makenna Thorsen hit a grounder to the second baseman, and Corey beat the throw to second to put runners on first and second. Angel Palmer grounded to short, and the shortstop threw to third to force pinch runner Alexa Thorsen for the second out of the inning. Luoma popped a single to center, scoring Makenna Thorsen to pull the Wildcats within two runs. Palmer and Luoma each moved up a base on the throw. Dittel-Hoefler lined a 1-0 pitch to left for a single, scoring both runners to tie the game at 4-4. Leritz reached on a bunt single and Smith walked to load the bases. But Sheppeck grounded out to end the Wildcat rally.

In the bottom of the fourth, Abby Noldin singled to drive in Jillian Ritsche to give Hermantown a 5-4 lead. Noldin drove in an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, and the Hawks led 6-4. The Wildcats went 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh, and Hermantown came away with a 6-4 win. Makenna Thorsen pitched a complete game for the Wildcats. In six innings, she allowed six runs – only two of which were earned – on nine hits, walked three and struck out four.

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