Riverland softball wins three against Mesabi to open the season

Published 8:00 pm Monday, March 16, 2009

The Riverland softball team opened the season with a bang as it scored over 50 runs in a three-game sweep of Mesabi Community and Technical College in the Irish Dome in Rosemount Monday.

“I thought we’d hit the ball pretty good,” RCC head coach Dave Lillemon said. “But I didn’t think we would hit this good.”

The Blue Devils won the first game 9-5 after scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take the lead for good. Mandy May led off the sixth frame with a double, Laura Meyer tripled her in and Danielle Lynch knocked in a run to get the rally going.

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RCC turned three double plays in the victory.

May had three hits and two doubles, Meyer had three hits with a double and a triple, Carmen Smith had three hits, two doubles and two RBIs, and Thenedra Corey had three hits and three RBIs.

Kaylee Newmann pitched the win, going seven innings, while allowing five hits, three walks, two earned runs, and striking out one.

The next two games were decided in five innings as the Blue Devils (3-0 overall) won by scores of 24-0 and 18-1.

Anna Breault of Houston pitched a no-hitter in the 24-0 win as she had just one walk and struck out two in five innings of work.

“She threw a lot of strikes and the defense played well,” Lillemon said.

Corey had an in-the-park homer and a double along with three RBIs in the win, Justine Sanvick and Elizabeth Triplett each had three hits and four RBIs, and Meyer, Jill Radke and Christy Van Dyke each had three hits.

In the 18-1 win, the Blue Devils put up 11 runs in the third frame to break open a 4-1 game.

Corey was three-for-three with a home run and four RBIs, Triplett was 2-for-3 with a homer and four RBIs, and Meyer was four-for-four with four runs. Smith, Sanvick and Andrea Exline all had two hits.

Newmann picked up the win on the mound, allowing one hit, one walk and zero earned runs in four innings of work. Breault also pitched one inning.

RCC will play Rainy River Wednesday at 7 a.m. and Fergus Falls at 10 a.m. in the Irish Dome.