Photo by Paul Trende
They twice gave up big innings, and twice dug out. Versus a team headed by the state’s winningest softball coach ever, Pat Bowlin (over 800), Caledonia had to rally twice against Cotter/HL. And Chad Augedahls’s Warriors did so both times, the second in a nine-inning game. Caledonia earned its first ever state berth in softball.
On Memorial Day Monday, the #3 in Class AA Warriors (1-seed, 24-2) played the Ramblers (3-seed, 19-6) in the no-loss game of the 1AA tourney. It was not a good start. The first five Ramblers reached and all scored. Caledonia helped. Star senior pitcher Avery Augedahl walked two, including a batter with the bases loaded. A Warrior outfield error plated two runs. Cotter/HL had only one RBI-hit in the inning but jumped out 5-0. But in Caledonia’s half, A-Augedahl singled and an Elsa Blum walked. Ashlyn Reinhart (double) and Lily Augedahl (single) drove them in to make it 5-2. In the fourth, doubles by L-Augedahl and Vivian Kittleson made it 5-3. Cotter’s lead-off batter in the second reached. Augedahl then bore down, setting down the last 18, striking out eight straight at one point. And the offense had two big innings. In the fifth, a couple free passes to Augedahl (hit batter) and Blum (walk) set the table for a Reinhart two-run double making it 5-4. After an L-Augedahl single, Reinhart scored on a Nora Staggemeyer fielder’s choice, throw to home. The game was suddenly tied 5-5. Lily Wiebke then capped the inning with two-run double to put Cal up 7-5. An inning later, all with two outs, Reinhart had her third RBI-hit of the game. Staggemeyer added a two-run double, Kittleson an RBI-single. Racking up seven doubles, the Warriors scored the final 12 for a 12-5 win. Freshman Reinhart (3-4, 4 RBI, 2 R) had three of the doubles. L-Augedahl (3-4, 2B, RBI, 2 R) also had three hits. Staggemeyer (1-4, 2B, 2 R) drove in three. A-Augedahl (1-2) scored three times. Kittleson (2-4, 2B, R) and Wiebke (1-3, 2B) drove in two runs. The Warriors out-hit the Ramblers 11 to 4. After the tough start, A-Augedahl (7 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 10 K) was lights out. Madelyn Speltz (5 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 1 BB, 2 K) took the loss. Raegan Hoheisel (1-3, RBI, R) and Briar Rouleau (2-4, R) led the Ramblers’ “O.”
Cotter/HL then beat Chatfield 10-6 in a “loser-out” game. So, two days later, on Wednesday night, it was the #3 in AA Warriors (1-seed, 25-2) and the Ramblers (3-seed, 20-7) for the 1AA title at Rochester Regional Softball Complex. It was Caledonia’s third straight title game. But like the prior matchup, Cotter bolted to a quick lead, similarly with help. The Ramblers second inning started with a walk. Both walks in the inning resulted in runs. Two of the four runs to plate did so on wild pitches/passed balls. Cotter/HL took it base by base, got RBI-singles from Isabella Kortsan and Payson Laschenski, to jump out 4-0. After Rambler pitcher Madelyn Speltz set down the first nine, Caledonia got back into with a big fourth. With two outs, a Reinhart blooper fell by error to start things. Hits then by L-Augedahl (RBI-single), Staggemeyer (RBI-triple high off the wall), and Kittleson (RBI-double) made it 4-3. An inning later, Wiebke reached on a high pop-up. Reinhart later ripped a two-out single. The Warriors left two on but the game was tied 4-4. It then came down to who would break through. The Ramblers got a runner to third in the sixth. In Caledonia’s sixth, with the bases loaded and lead-off hitter A-Augedahl up, out number three was recorded at home plate on an attempt to score on a passed ball. In the bottom of the seventh, the Warriors had runners on first and second, but the final out was recorded at third. Finally, in the bottom of the ninth, Adrienne Lange smacked a grounder through short. After a flyout, Blum was walked. Reinhart then smacked one past third. A-Lange came around from second to score for the walkoff, state-clinching 5-4 win in nine innings! Reinhart (2-4, 2 RBI, R) upped her RBI total versus the Ramblers in the playoffs to six. Staggemeyer (1-3, 3B, R), Kittleson (1-4, 2B), and L-Augedahl (1-4, RBI, R) also drove in a run. Wiebke (1-3) and A-Lange (1-3) also scored runs. A-Augedahl (9 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, Win) improved her record to 27-2. Kortsan (1-4) and Laschenski (1-2) drove in runs for the Ramblers. Speltz (6 1/3 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 7 K) was relieved by Marisa Oberg (2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K), who took the loss. It is the senior-less Warriors (27-2) first ever trip to state in softball. Seeded third, Chad Augedahl’s group will play 6-seed Visitation Academy (21-3).
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