Softball: Blossoms keep their season alive in win over WEM
Published 9:12 pm Friday, May 22, 2015
Blooming Prairie’s Linnea Sunde slaps at a pitch during the Section 1A West Division championship game Friday against Hayfield at Todd Park. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
The Awesome Blossoms had their backs to the wall, but they responded in a big way as they beat Waterville-Elysian-Morristown in a Section 1A elimination game and keep their season alive in Todd Park Friday.
BP (10-9 overall) came up with all the offense it would need in the bottom of the third inning when Elly Strunk doubled in a pair of runs, McKenna Hein singled in a run and Kalyn Naatz singled in two runs. Naatz finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs and Strunk went 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
Blooming Prairie third baseman Anika Nowlan comes up throwing on a grounder against Hayfield in the Section 1A West Division championship game Friday at Todd Park. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Strunk also picked up the win in the circle, despite the fact that she was hit in the thumb of her throwing hand by a line drive in the fourth. Strunk demanded to stay in the game, even though she was battling pain.
“It couldn’t feel it for awhile, but now it’s coming back and I can kind of feel it,” Strunk said of her thumb. “I’m very competitive and I wanted us to go on.”
BP head coach Ali Mach was quick to check on Strunk and she was glad her sophomore hurler was able to stay out there.
“That was a shot right to her and I didn’t know if she was going to keep going,” Mach said. “She was tough and she wanted to stay in there. She was excited for postseason play and she wanted to keep us going, she absolutely did that for us today.”
BP had to rally on Friday after it lost a 5-0 game to Hayfield to start the day. Mach said the team did a good job of bouncing back.
“That first game was draining emotionally,” Mach said. “Once we started getting those hits and scored that first run, it was big. In these games, it’s really who can survive and get through it.”
BP will play Fillmore Central in a Section 1A elimination game 5 p.m. Tuesday at Todd Park.
WEM 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 — 4 8 2
BP 0 0 5 4 1 0 X — 10 12 2
BP pitching: Elly Strunk (W) 7 IP, 8 H, 4 BB, 4 R, 3 ER, 9 K
BP hitting: Tessa Ivers, 1-for-3, 3 SB, 2 R, BB; Madison Worke, 0-for-4, R; Strunk, 3-for-4, 3 RBIs, 2 R; Bria Baldwin, 2-for-3, 2 R, BB; McKenna Hein, 1-for-3, RBI, 2 R, BB; Kalyn Naatz, 2-for-4, 4 RBIs, R; Jessica Ferguson, 1-for-4, 2 RBIs; Abby Wayne, 1-for-4; Anika Nowlan, 0-for-3
