Head Coach Mark Eickhoff didn’t get bathed in Gatorade. Chatfield softball couldn’t repeat as 1AA East champions. But courtesy of a 1AA East Runner-Up finish, the Gophers are headed to Austin for a fifth straight year. Chatfield’s sub-section trek started with a re-match against Caledonia/SG. The Warriors (8-seed, 6-11) upset the Gophers (1-seed, 15-2) to end the regular season, 6-3. Lexi Chase made sure that didn’t happen the only way one player can. The sophomore pitcher added another notch on a ridiculous season. She tossed a perfect game. Twenty-one Warriors stepped to the plate and all 21 were set down. A 5-run Gopher second led to a 9-0 win. Chase (7 IP, 0 H, 0 H, 0 BB, 17 K, Win, 3-4, R), Belle Berg (4-4, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 2 R), and Teagan Allen (2-3, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 R) did the big work. McKenna Daniels (2-4, RBI, R) and Kim Greiner (3 R) helped. Chatfield (1-seed 16-2) then hosted PEM (5-seed, 10-11). Chase wasn’t perfect. The Bulldogs didn’t touch her. One night after yielding nothing, she yielded a no-hitter (7 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 15 K). Offensively, the Gophers used a B-Berg double, some bunting, and PEM fielding errors to plate three in the first. The Bulldogs only run scored via error and two passed balls. Chatfield prevailed 3-1. Berg (2-3, R) was the only player with multiple hits. Sister Peyton Berg (RBI, R) and Chase (1-3, R) helped. The Gophers (1-seed, 17-2) moved on to St. Charles. For the third straight year, they met Cotter (2-seed, 17-4) for the 1AA East title. The game was a pitchers dual between Chase and Isabel Northrup (who didn’t throw in last year’s game). Northrup, a junior, was the best hurler that day. Cotter freshman Abree Dieterman hit a second inning solo home run, the game’s only score. The Gophers had just one base runner through five. Northrup set down 15 straight. Shelby Isensee’s fourth inning drive had the distance to clear the fence, but it didn’t get past centerfielder Aspen Jerowski’s glove. Chatfield loaded the bases in the sixth with two outs, but got nada. They got a lead-off runner to second in the seventh, but no further. Northrup (7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 11 K) led the Ramblers past Chase (7 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 11 K) and company by a 1-0 final. The Gophers won the regular season meeting 1-0. Chatfield then took out their frustrations on St. Charles in the “loser-out” game. The Berg sisters had lead-off home runs in the first (Belle) and second (Peyton). The rout was on. It took just four innings for the Gophers to avenge an earlier loss. The final was 15-0. B-Berg (3-3, HR, 3 RBI, 4 R), Chase (2-4, 2B, 4 RBI, 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, Win), P-Berg (1-2, HR, RBI, 2 R), Greiner (3-3, RBI, 3 R), and Allen (2-2, 2B, 3 R) left no doubt. Chatfield (18-3) claimed the 1AA East Runner-Up hardware. They’ll face West runner-up Byron (15-7) in Austin. The Bears beat defending 1AA state champion Z-M twice in the play-offs.
Perfection, No-No, No Gatorade; Gophers Make Austin Again
