Photo by Paul Trende
It has been an excellent spring thus far for Chatfield baseball and softball. Each enters May yet to lose.
Softball Goes 3-0,
Downs Cotter
Chatfield’s softball week was highlighted by a big game in Winona versus Cotter. The Gophers entered having lost six straight to the Ramblers, dating back to May 3, 2018. In that span, the Chatfield scored just one run. The first four games were low-scoring and close, but last year’s two games wound up lopsided (10-0 and 16-1 in the play-offs). The 2022 TRC meeting was low-scoring and close, tied 0-0 through six innings. In Chatfield’s top of seven, a walk and a single put two Gophers on with one out. Three of the next four Chatfield batters had effective bunts, while the fourth, Sydney Allen added an RBI-single. The Gophers put up four runs in the inning. It was too many for Cotter to overcome. Chatfield grabbed the big 4-0 win. They have now beaten last year’s two TRC division winners (St. Charles, Cotter). The Ramblers out-hit Chatfield eight to four. Cotter had four innings, the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th, where they got two hits but scored zero runs. They left six runners in scoring position. Gopher pitcher Claire Springer (7 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, win) was effective in a bind. Brynn Irish (1-3, RBI, R), Allen (2-3, R), and Devann Clemens (0-3, 2 RBI, R) did the work offensively. Madison Hazeleton (7 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 11 K) took the tough loss. Chatfield also notched wins over Fillmore Central/Lanesboro and PEM. Versus the Falcons, the Gophers prevailed 10-0 in five innings. Peyton Berg (2-4, two 2Bs, 5 RBI, R) and Kara Goetzinger (2-3, two 2Bs, 2 RBI, 2 R) led the way, as Berg ended the game with a 3-run double. Jaiden Zimmerman (1-3, 2B, R), Springer (1-3, RBI), and Irish (1-3, R) helped offensively. Gopher pitchers Springer, Zimmerman, Berg, Goetzinger, and Alexis Hinckley combined for a five-inning no-hitter. Chatfield ended the week beating PEM 11-2. The Bulldogs scored the first two runs, but Chatfield the last 11. Alexis Hinckley (2-4, 3 RBI) and Springer (1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K) led the way. Berg (1-3, 2B, 2 RBI), Zimmerman (1-3, RBI, 2 R), Irish (1-3, 2 R), Goetzinger (1-3, R) and Tatum Allen (1-3, R) helped. Jerry Chase’s group (5-0, 7-0) lead the TRC-West over the Saints (5-1, 5-1).
Baseball Stays
Impressive in 3-0 Week
Photo by Paul Trende
While Chatfield softball has amassed a pair of big wins in their impressive season, the Gopher baseball team has yet to play a game decided by less than four runs. Brian Baum’s group posted wins over Fillmore Central/Lanesboro, Cotter, and Triton to also stay unbeaten. Versus the Falcons, Chatfield had a five-run third to lead 7-0, and that score held as the final. Carter Daniels (2-3, RBI, 4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, Win) led the way by doing double duty. Drew O’Connor (2-3), Caden Boyum (1-2, RBI, R), Luke Carrier (1-3, 2B R), Caden Nolte (1-3, RBI, R), Jackson Schild (1-3, RBI, R), and Drew Schindler (1-2, RBI) helped, as eight of nine Gophers starters recorded a hit. Stephan Schultz (2-3) had half of the Falcons’ hits. Chatfield then dispatched with Cotter 9-3. The Ramblers scored three in the top of the first, and led until the Gophers scored two in the bottom of the fifth to lead 4-3. The Gophers then tacked on a five-run sixth, making it academic. Nolte (2-4, two 2B, 2 RBI, 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 K) picked up the win (3-0). O’Connor (2-3, 2 RBI, R) hit his second home run. Schindler (1-3, 3 R), Boyum (1-2, 2 R), and Jackson Schild (1-3, R) helped out. Finally, Chatfield took out Triton 10-6, in the Gophers’ closest game of the year thus far. The teams exchanged three-run first innings before the Gophers built a 10-4 lead. Nolte (3-4, 3 RBI, R) continued his RBI-tear. He has 15 RBIs on 17 hits this year. Daniels (1-3, RBI, R), Boyum (1-3, 2B, 2 R), Schindler (1-4, 2B, 2 R), and Schild (1-4, 3B, RBI, R) made it a team effort. Lead-off man Luke Carrier was 0-1, but walked four times and scored thrice. Three Gopher hurlers took the mound with O’Connor (4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 R, 3 BB, 6 K) collecting the win. Chatfield improved to 6-0, 7-0. Every win has been by at least four runs. They lead the TRC West over PEM (4-1, 6-2) and Dover-Eyota (3-1, 5-1).