The Becker Lady Bulldogs softball team advanced to the state tournament with wins Tuesday and Thursday.
Becker 6, Rocori 3
Tuesday, Becker played #2 seed Rocori in Sauk Rapids in the semi-finals of section play. Rocori ended Becker’s season last year with a 12-run win and Jason Baune’s girls were looking for some revenge.
The game was scoreless through two innings when Emily Lamott led off the third with a single and moved to second when Corrie Weise walked. After Krista Paulson was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Emma Eickhoff singled up the middle to score two runs and put the Bulldogs in the lead.
Becker added two more runs in the fourth when Kurstyn Patnode led off with a walk and Cammie Varney reached on a bunt to put runners at the corners. Patnode would come in to score on a botched pickoff play and Varney would score a few pitches later on a passed ball to make it 4-0.
Just when it looked like the Bulldogs were in control, the Spartans answered with three runs in the top of the fifth to make the score 4-3.
The Bulldogs responded by scoring two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth when Varney reached on a one-out walk and scored on a Weise single. Lamott singled and scored on an errant throw by the Spartan catcher.
The Spartans were able to put two runners on base in the seventh, but Weise was able to wiggle out of the jam and preserve the three-run win.
Lamott reached base three times out of the leadoff spot and scored two runs. Weise reached base all four times on three walks and an RBI single.
Weise got the win on the mound going all seven innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. She walked one and struck out 10.
The win moved the Bulldogs to the championship game Thursday.
Becker 4, Rocori 2
After Rocori defeated Monticello in the loser's bracket, they climbed up for a rematch with the Bulldogs — however, they needed two wins Thursday to advance to state.
The game started off with a lot of offense as the Bulldogs put up three runs in the bottom of the first. Lamott and Weise started the inning with singles. Lamott scored on an Eickhoff single and both Weise and Eickhoff scored on a two-RBI single off the bat of Avery Tamm.
The Spartans battled back with two runs of their own in the top of the second on three hits and a walk.
The Bulldogs escaped further damage and the score remained 3-2 until the bottom of the fifth when Weise led off with a double and eventually scored on a bunt off the bat of Eickhoff to push the lead to 4-2. Weise slammed the door on the Spartans in the late innings, allowing only two baserunners in the final four innings.
Weise finished with two hits in the game and Tamm had what would be the game winning RBI with her single in the bottom of the first.
Weise also picked up the win, going all seven innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on nine hits. She walked one and struck out 10.
On To State!
With the wins, the Bulldogs win the Section 5AAA championship and advance to the state tournament June 6-7 in Mankato. While the opponent is yet to be determined, the Bulldogs will play their quarterfinal game at 11 a.m. Thursday morning with their second game coming at 5 p.m. that afternoon.
The state tournament will wrap up with the fifth, third and championship games Friday, June 7.
