Blossoms can’t maintain fast start in quarterfinal loss to West Lutheran
Published 10:31 pm Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Madelyn Harvey pulls in a fly ball in left field. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Catelynn Bartlett swings for Blooming Priaire. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Ella Smith makes a throw from the outfield for the Awesome Blossoms. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Catelyn Bartlett runs the bases for Blooming Prairie. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Anna Haberman makes contact for the Awesome Blossoms. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Blooming Prairie’s Lily Schammel puts a tag on West Lutheran’s Kaley Oppitz at the Class A state quarterfinals in Caswell Park Wednesday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Ella Smith drives a pitch for BP. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Macy Lembke fires a pitch for the Awesome Blossoms in the Class A quarterfinals in Caswell Park Wednesday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Rachel Winzenburg makes contact for the Awesome Blossoms. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
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NORTH MANKATO – The No. 3 seeded Awesome Blossoms couldn’t find their swings after a 48-minute weather delay and they ended up on the wrong side of a 14-7 loss to West Lutheran in a Minnesota Class A State Softball Tournament quarterfinal game in Caswell Park Wednesday.
BP (19-6 overall) led 7-3 after four innings, but strong winds began to pick up to the outfield in the top of the fifth inning and West Lutheran took advantage by putting together three doubles and a single to pull within 7-5 and put runners on second and third with one out when the game was put on hold due to lightning.
BP pitcher Macy Lembke came out and forced a groundout and a pop out to escape the jam when play resumed, but West Lutheran (18-4 overall) took advantage of a two-out throwing error by BP in the top of the sixth as it scored five runs to take a 10-7 lead.
“We came out a little bit slow after the delay, but it also got us out of a jam. They had runners on second and third with one out and we came back out of the weather delay and we got out of the jam. It kind of helped us out there, but the bats kind of slowed down after that,” BP head coach Cam Rutledge said. “I’ll give credit to West Lutheran, I thought they hit the ball really well. All of the teams at state can play good softball, and I thought they outplayed us today.”
After scoring at least one run in the first four innings, BP went scoreless over the last three innings as it wasn’t able to produce a threat.
BP, which is playing in its first state tournament in 11 years, will take on Red Lake Falls in a consolation game at 11:30 a.m. Thursday.
Rutledge said the run to state will be remembered in BP.
“I think this is good for our community and it’s great for our younger girls on the team,” he said.
West Lutheran 102 025 4 – 14 17 4
Blooming Prairie 212 200 0 – 7 4 4
BP pitching: Macy Lembke (L) 7 IP, 17 H, 4 BB, 14 R, 8 ER, 5 K
BP hitting: Lembke, 1-for-4, double, R, 2 BBs; Rachel Winzenburg, 2-for-3, RBI, R; Shawntee Snyder, 1-for-2, 2 RBIs, R; Layla Lembke, 0-for-2, RBI, R, BB; Lily Schammel, 0-for-3, R; Ella Smith, 0-for-4, R; Catelyn Bartlett, 0-for-1, R, 3 BBs; Anna Haberman, 0-for-4; Madelyn Harvey, 0-for-2
