Baseball/Softball: Gopher Teams Rally With 7-0 Week

Chatfield baseball started the year 0-8.  Gopher softball started 3-5.  Each has only won since as the squads went 7-0 on the week.  Baseball went 4-0, first beating Lewiston-Altura 9-7.  Chatfield led 5-1 after three, countered three-run fourth and fifth innings by the Cards, with two in their half of the innings, to lead 7-4 and 9-7.  Andrew Eickhoff (6 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) battled to the win.  Paycey Ferguson (1 IP, 0 H) got the save.  Kaisen Johnson (3-4, 3 RBI), Ryan Eickhoff (2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R), and Brody Whalen (1-2, R) brought the best aluminum.  Chatfield won walks-issued two to seven.  The Gophers then beat defending 1AA champ Pine Island 14-8.  Chatfield scored in each of the first four innings (including a six-run fourth) to lead 14-3.  Jackson Johnsrud (1-2, R; 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) drove in four runs. Sean Kirchner (5 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 2 BB) struck out nine in getting the win.  Johnson (2-3, 2 RBI, 2 R), Caden Voeltz (2-2, RBI, 2 R), Whalen (1-2, 2 RBI), and R-Eickhoff (1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R) did work offensively.  Hosting W-K, Chatfield took game one 5-3, game two 4-2 (in five innings).  Ferguson (6 2/3 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 4 BB; 2-4, RBI) struck out nine and collected the win in game one. Johnson continued his hot bat (3-4, RBI). Sam Ruskell (1-3, RBI, R), Sam Carrier (1-3, 2B, R), and R-Eickhoff (1-4, 2B, RBI) added “O.” In the second game, Jackson Bernard (3 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 2 K, Win) and Colter Milander (2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, Save) combined to allow just one earned run.  Johnsrud (1-2, 2 R), Kirchner (1-2, RBI), and Ferguson (1-2, RBI) led the “O.”  The Gophers (5-6 TRC, 7-10 overall) are 7-2 their last nine games.  Softball ran its win streak to five with a 3-0 week. Versus L-A, 1-2 hitters Makenna Dornack (3-5, two HR, 5 RBI, 3 R) and Brynn Horsman (4-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R) combined to go 7-for-10 with three dingers, 7 RBI, and five runs scored in a 11-1 win.  Audrey Springer (3-4, 2B, 2 RBI), Kendyl Nolte (2-4, 2B, R), and Caijel Berge (1-3, RBI, R) helped. Rylee Urban (7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB) struck out nine to collect the win.   Brent Berge’s group then swept a double-shot with W-K 8-2 and 17-2 in four innings.   Urban (7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, Win; 1-3, 2B) struck out 13 in game one. Dornack (2-5, R), Destiny Schlichter (2-3, RBI), and Madyson Proper (2-4, R) each had two hits.  Springer (1-2, R), Berge (1-3, 2 R), Nolte 1-4, 2 R), and Olivia Karver (1-3) each drove in a run. In game two, Horsman (3-3, R) homered and drove in five runs. Springer (3-3, 2 RBI, 2 R), Dornack (2-2, 2 RBI, 3 R), and Berge (2-2, RBI; 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K) went a combined 7-for-7. Proper (1-1, three BB’s) scored four times. Nolte (1-3, RBI) and Urban (1-3, RBI, 2 R) each had a double, the latter (2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 K) picking up the pitching win. The Gophers (8-2 TRC, 8-5 overall) lead the TRC-West over nearest foes D-E (8-3, 9-4) and SC (7-3, 9-8). Dornack and Horsman each have three home runs on the year.