The CMC conference softball schedule was concluded last week with three games. Kimball faced Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa (BBE) on Monday, May 10; Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted (HLW-W) on Tuesday, May 11; and finished with their last home game Thursday, May 13 against Eden Valley-Watkins (EVW). Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa BBE was a rematch from Friday, May 7, where the Cubs took a one run victory. This game was at BBE and featured a lot of offensive fireworks, but the Kimball rally fell short and BBE won 16-12. The game started out well for the Cubs as Angie Garding, Amanda Schiefelbein, Jodine Lemke, Amelia Hentges and Jessica Gully started the game with singles. Two more singles by Whitney Gettler and Jen Schefers gave the Cubs a six run lead. However, it was shortlived as BBE came back with seven runs in the bottom of the first. They added three more in the second and two in the fourth to take a 12-6 lead. BBE used 11 hits and three Kimball errors to score their runs, including a grand slam and a three-run HR to power their offense. Kimball began a comeback in the fifth as Hentges, Gully, Gettler, Casey Williams and Kari Mackereth scored to close the gap to 12-11. BBE responded in the sixth, plating four more runs. Kimball tried to rally in the seventh. Schefers led off with a single, Garding singled, and Schiefelbein walked, loading the bases with no outs. Schefers scored on a fielder’s choice, but that was it for the Cubs as three infield pop-ups doomed the Cubs to a 16-12 loss. The Cubs had a season high 15 hits with Garding, Hentges, Williams, Gettler and Schefers having multiple hit games. Every Kimball starter had a hit in the game. BBE had 14 hits, four errors and three walks which gave them the extra baserunners they needed to pull out the win. Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted HLW-W was Tuesday’s opponent and the Kimball bats were silenced by HLW-W’s pitching. Jami Weigelt had two hits with Garding and Gettler adding one each; that was it for the Cubs. Kimball was able to put only four runs on the board, which wasn’t enough to counteract seven Kimball errors. Six were in the first three innings which led to 12 runs for the Lakers, as they cruised to win 14-4. The Lakers also had 14 hits to power their offense against two Kimball pitchers. Eden Valley-Watkins EVW was the final conference game opponent and the last home game for eight Kimball seniors: Michelle Condon, Maren Kolb, Andrea Miller, Diana Laboch, Jenna Stenger, Angie Garding, Casey Williams and Jen Schefers all graduate this year. It was a memorable finale as the Cubs put together their best overall effort of the season in a 17-2 win over the Eagles. Eight of the Cubs’ first nine batters had hits. Angie Garding and Jodine Lemke had two hits each in the first inning with the Cubs putting up nine runs. Kimball added two more in the second when Schiefelbein and Gully scored for an 11-0 lead. EVW had two runs in the third using two hits and the only two Kimball errors of the game. The Cubs came back with six more runs in the fourth as Garding scored her third run of the game. Weigelt, Lemke and Schiefelbein each scored their second runs of the game. Gettler, Gully and Kari Mackereth each scored once. Schefers scored twice in the game. Mackereth was 3-4 with three RBIs and Schefers and Lemke also had three RBIs. Whitney Gettler went the distance on the mound, allowing four hits and no earned runs to get the win. With a couple makeup games to be played yet, the CMC standings are as follows: Rockford, Maple Lake, Holdingford, HLW-W, Kimball, Pierz, BBE, and EVW. Rockford has a one game lead over Maple Lake. The two teams face each other Thursday, May 20, to decide Rockford as the CMC champion or if Maple Lake ties for the title. The Cubs have a final non-conference game on Tuesday, May 18, at St. John’s Prep. Wednesday, May 19, is the subsection seed meeting. Playoffs begin Monday, May 24.
