Photo by Leif Erickson
After a season opening loss to W-K, Chatfield softball rallied with a four-win week that included two TRC triumphs and two wins at the Lake City Tourney. Versus PEM, Chatfield had a six-run fifth inning to end the game via 10-run rule, final 10-0. Pitcher Rylee Urban (5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K, Win, 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, R) performed good double-duty. Brynn Horsman (3-3, 2B, 3B, RBI, 2 R) was perfect at the plate. Makenna Dornack (2-3, 2 R) drove in three runs. Brittin Ruskell (1-2, RBI, 2 R), Alexis Hinckley (2-3), Kieran Schmaltz (1-2, 2B, RBI), and Grace Finley (1-4, 2B, RBI) also contributed to the attack. The Gophers then avenged a 3-2 loss to La Crescent/Hokah from a year ago. Chatfield had a four-run fourth to build a 4-1 lead. Brynn H. had a two-out, two-run single to cap the inning. LCH got one back in the fifth, but only one Lancer reached in the final two innings as Chatfield prevailed 4-2. Ruskell (2-2, 2B, RBI, R), Braelee Horsman (1-3, 3B, RBI, R), and Brynn H. (1-2, 2 RBI) led the offense. Urban (4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K) picked up the win in relief of Katryn Johnson (3 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 6 BB, 7 K). The Gophers then took on the Lake City Tourney, first blanking Cannon Falls 10-0 in six innings. Johnson (2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R) hit a home run. Urban (6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2-4, 2B, RBI) struck on 10 in collecting the win. Hinckley (2-4, 2B) drove in three runs. One-two hitters Dornack (0-2, 3 R) and Ruskell (1-3, 2 R) scored five times. Kendall Knutson (1-3) added a double. Versus Kenyon-Wanamingo, the Gophers had a five-run fourth to lead 6-0. K-W scored three in the fifth, but had just one batter reach in the final two innings. Chatfield prevailed 6-3. One thru three hitters Dornack (3-4, two 2B, RBI, R), Ruskell (4-4, two 2B, 2 RBI, R), and Hinckley (3-4, HR, 2 RBI, R) went 10-for-12 with four doubles, a home run, 5 RBI, and three runs scored. Johnson helped on offense (2-2, 2B) while collecting the pitching win (5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K). It was the Gophers’ fourth straight win. Brent Berge’s group improved to 2-1 in the TRC, 4-1 overall. Urban put-up excellent pitching numbers on the week (3-0 record, 17 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 23 K).