In the second game of Thursday evening’s matchups, the #2-seeded Becker Bulldogs outlasted the #5-seeded Zimmerman Thunder and advanced to play Dassel-Cokato Tuesday in the final four of section play at Big Lake. 

 

The winner of that game will play the loser of the Rocori/Willmar game the same night. The section final will take place in Big Lake Thursday afternoon.

 

Becker put up three runs on a mix of hits and walks to take the 3-1 lead in the third. They added two more runs in the fourth on an RBI single off the bat of Ellie Schwartz.

 

Payton Bernstrom drove in another run in the fifth, the Thunder scored a single run in the sixth, but Becker added three more runs in the bottom of the inning to go up 9-2 heading into the seventh.  Zimmertallied three more, but Becker held on for the win.  

 

Weise got the win on the mound. Bernstrom and Schwartz each had three hits, while Tamm and Benda added two each.

 

 

No. 3-seeded Willmar beat the Bulldogs in the second round of playoffs by a score of 5-0.

 

The Cardinals got on the board first with an unearned run in the top of the second inning and that was all they needed.  Becker managed just one hit off the bat of Emily Lamott.

 

The big blow came in the fourth when the Cardinals added four more runs on three hits, a walk, and a couple Bulldog miscues making the final score 5-0.  

 

 Weise pitched the first 3-1/3 innings, allowing five runs, four earned, on eight hits.  Catrina Holm pitched the final 3-2/3 innings, allowing just one hit while striking out five.

 

 

In the first game of the Section 5AAA playoffs Tuesday, Becker trounced the Chargers behind the solid pitching of Corrie Weise and the bats of Lamott (3-for-4), Krista Paulson (2 RBIs) and Haley Benda (2 RBIs).

 

After a scoreless first, Becker put three on the board in the bottom of the second with Kaylyn Wiehle,  Lamott, Benda and Schwartz each singling.  

 

The Bulldogs added four more runs in the bottom of the third with Schwartz, Lamott and Benda notching their second hits.  

 

The score remained 7-0 until the bottom of the fifth when Avery Tamm walked and scored on a Paulsen double.  

 

The Chargers hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth for their only run.  

 

Weise picked up the win, going all seven innings, allowing five hits and striking out 12 batters.

 

 

Last Saturday, Becker traveled to Zumbrota to play a two-game invitational that had been rescheduled from April.  

 

In game one, Becker took on Norwood-Young America, which had a record of 15-2 entering the game.  

 

After two scoreless innings, Becker got on the board with a four-run fourth that included singles from Schwartz and Benda.  

 

Becker added two more runs with consecutive hits from Weise, Schwartz and Kaylyn Wiehle to go up 6-0.  

 

The Raiders scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to pull within 6-2, then plated three runs in the bottom of the sixth to make things interesting.  However, Weise was able to slam the door in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the win.  

 

Weise picked up the win going all seven innings.  She allowed nine hits and walked three, while striking out nine.  Schwartz and Weise each reached base three times in the game.

 

 

In the second game of the day Becker took on the host Cougars of Zumbrota-Mazeppa.  

 

The Cougars, winners of  the state championship in 2017, took advantage of some Bulldog miscues early in the game to pull away and skate to an easy victory.  

 

Holm got the start and Emma Eickhoff came in to close out the game.

 

 

Friday, the Bulldogs traveled to Monticello to take on the Magic.  

 

Becker scored first when Paulsen singled and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Wiehle in the first inning.  

 

The Magic tied the game in the bottom of the inning, but Becker retook the lead in the top of the third with three runs, including a two-run double off the bat of Wiehle.  

 

Monticello rallied with two runs of their own in the bottom of the third to pull within 4-3.  

 

Singles from Tamm, Bernstrom and Weise made it 5-3 in the fourth, but once again the Magic answered with a run to pull within 5-4.  Jaida Johnson drove in Becker’s sixth run with a double in the top of the fifth and the Bulldogs tacked on four insurance runs in the top of the sixth, highlighted by a Lamott triple to make the final 10-4.  

 

Holm pitched the first two innings and Weise picked up the victory going the final five.  Weise also had three hits, while Tamm, Paulsen and Benda added two hits apiece.