Softball: Blossoms survive in the rain to get past Randolph
Published 6:59 pm Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Blooming Prairie’s Sam Ivers slides into third base as Randolph third baseman Abby Meyer reaches for the ball during the second inning of their Section 1A West Division playoff game Wednesday afternoon in Blooming Prairie. — Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
BLOOMING PRAIRIE — Blooming Prairie pitcher Shelbi Swenson was knocked off her game by heavy rains in the seventh inning, but she regrouped as the Awesome Blossoms held on to beat No. 4 Randolph (13-3 overall) 5-3 in the Section 1A West semifinals in BP Wednesday.
Swenson struggled with keeping a grip on the ball in the seventh inning as she walked four batters, hit another one and allowed a single before striking out the final hitter to seal the win.
Blooming Prairie pitcher Shelbi Swenson delivers against Randolph in the third inning of the Section 1A West Division Tournament in Blooming Prairie Wednesday.
“We had to dry the ball after every pitch and Shelbi just couldn’t get a handle on it,” BP head coach Ali Mach said.
Swenson had a perfect game going into the seventh for top seeded BP (17-3 overall), which will now play No. 3 Kenyon-Wanamingo (12-7 overall) for the Section 1A West title in Todd Park in Austin Friday at 5 p.m.
BP mustered just four hits of its own in the win, but Mach said that had a lot to do with the tough conditions, which featured rain, wind and temperatures in the low 50s.
“I’m not too worried,” Mach said. “We played a real good game in tough conditions and when we made contact, we hit the ball hard.”
BP pitching: Shelbi Swenson (W), 7 IP, 1 H, 4 BB, 3 ER, 9 K, 1 HBP
BP hitting: Tessa Ivers, 1-for-4, R; Jenna Krell, 1-for-3, R; Sydney Heiber, 1-for-2, R; Mariah Holland, 1-for-2, R
