The Big Lake softball team opened their season with a dominant 15-1 victory on the road against North Branch. 

It was a full team effort on offense with eight Hornets getting hits and six earning an RBI. 

Big Lake was hot from the very start of the game, scoring four runs in the top of the first. The Vikings started the game by issuing four free passes with a hit by pitch and three walks, the last of which scored the Hornet’s first run of the game. Then, after a double play, Kam Tschritter singled to center field to score two more Big Lake runs. 

Unable to get anything going in the second, the Hornets scored one run in the third thanks to a North Branch error. And the Vikings matched with one of their own in the bottom half of the inning. 

After a flyout to start the fourth, Big Lake scored their first run of the inning after three consecutive singles from Sam Nohrenberg, Katie Chaffee, and Alyssa Windorski. The team added two more in the fourth to make the score 8-1. 

The game was blown open in the top of the fifth with Big Lake scoring seven runs on six hits and three Viking errors. Desi Dudek led off with a single and scored one batter later thanks to a Tessa Fjone double. The first North Branch error allowed the next run to score, and another double by Chaffee scored the team’s third of the inning. A few batters later Ava Prosser singled with the bases loaded scoring all three runners. Dudek finished the scoring by driving in Prosser with her second single of the inning. 

Fjone and Macy Bowne combined for a stellar performance in the circle. Fjone started the game, going the first four innings and giving up one earned run on only six hits and no walks. Then, Bowne came in for the final inning and struck out the side to end the game. 

The team will look to continue building momentum with four games this upcoming week, including three on consecutive days. On Thursday the team travels to Princeton, then returns home Friday for a game against Chisago Lakes, and hits the road to Mound Westonka on Friday. Next Tuesday the team will continue conference play against Zimmerman at home.