By Gary Riess, coach
The Kimball softball team played four more games last week and had a fifth game postponed due to weather (which makes four postponed this season). The Cubs went 2 and 2 for the week. Losing to Rockford 4-3 on Monday, defeating Ogilvie 10-0 on Tuesday, and splitting a doubleheader with Pierz on Thursday. The Cubs lost the first game 3-2 and won the second game 12-11.
Kimball faced Rockford for the second time in CMC play. Rockford had won the first game 6-0 in the season opener. As the game progressed, it appeared Rockford would duplicate that fete in the second meeting. Rockford took a 1-0 lead in the second on a solo home run. They added two more in the third, and a single run in the seventh to take a 4-0 lead. The Cubs went hitless into the bottom of the seventh inning. The no-hitter was broken up by Raelynn Callander who singled to start the seventh. Megan Libbesmeier then followed with a two-run home run to cut the deficit to 4-2. After two outs, Lexi Rose (hit by pitch), Breane Meierhofer (single), and Shelby Seth (walk) loaded the bases. A wild pitch scored Rose to make the score 4-3, with runners on second and third. However, a strikeout ended the rally one run short at 4-3.
Ogilvie was Tuesday’s non-conference opposition. Tiffany Berscheid and Raelynn Callander scored in the first for a 2-0 lead. In the third inning the Cubs struck for 6 runs. Berscheid, Callander, and Megan Libbesmeier scored and then Brooke Merten hit a three run home run, scoring Lexi Rose and Breane Meierhofer ahead of her. With the score 8-0, the real issue was if the game was going to finish before the approaching storm clouds hit. The Cubs added two more runs in the sixth, and the game ended after six innings by the 10-run rule at 10-0. Megan Libbesmeier pitched the 2 hit shutout with 8 strikeouts and no walks. Tiffany Berscheid was 3-3 and Alyssa Hurrle was 2-4 for the Cubs. Shortly after loading the bus and heading out of town back to Kimball the storm hit forcing the bus to pull off the road and wait for the hail and rain to pass.
Pierz was the opponent for a CMC doubleheader on Thursday, May 3. Game one was a pitcher’s duel. The Cubs scored in the fourth inning after a walk and an error to take a 1-0 lead. The score stayed that way until the seventh. In the top of the seventh the Cubs used base hits by Meierhofer and Berscheid and a walk to Libbesmeier to score a second run. Kimball took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh. The inning started on a down note with the leadoff hitter reaching by error. A fielder’s choice and two outs put a runner on third. A single scored Pierz’ first run to make the score 2-1. With a runner on first and two outs Pierz shortstop Megan Boser then launched a first pitch two-run home run to left to give Pierz a 3-2 victory over a heartbroken Kimball squad. Megan Libbesmeier was the losing pitcher giving up 7 hits, striking out four with no walks. Megan also was 2-2 with a run scored.
Kimball had only 15 minutes to get over the loss and get ready for game two. Pierz, which was visiting team in second game, struck hard and fast. The Pioneers plated 9 runs in the first and second innings off Kimball pitcher Lexi Rose. The Cubs scored twice by Callander and Libbesmeier, but faced a 9-2 deficit after two innings. Rose then settled down and would pitch the last five innings, allowing only two more runs in the sixth. Eight walks hurt her cause, but she helped herself with five strikeouts. The Cubs inched back into the game with two runs in the third, three in the fourth, and two in the fifth, to tie the game at 9. Pierz then scored twice in the sixth and took an 11-9 lead into the seventh inning. In the bottom of the seventh, Berscheid, Libbesmeier, and Katelyn Lichte got aboard to load the bases with one out. A second out brought the Cubs to their last chance. Lexi Rose then doubled into the left field gap. All three Cubs came around to score with Lichte sliding into home with the winning run in a thrilling 12-11 Kimball comeback win. For the game Meierhofer was 3-3, Rose and Libbesmeier each had two hits. Libbesmeier scored 4 times and Callander three times.
Friday’s game with Melrose was postponed due to weather. Next week Kimball plays five games. Monday at Maple Lake, then followed by home games Tuesday versus Osakis, a doubleheader with Holdingford on Thursday, and Lester Prairie on Friday.
Cubs softball plays four
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