Softball State Tournament: Class AA Recap
Posted: Friday, June 10, 2022 - 5:37 PM
During the Section 1AA playoffs, Chatfield faced a road of season survival by traveling the losers’ bracket following a loss to Cannon Falls. Three days later, the Gophers had to beat Cannon Falls twice for a trip to the softball state tournament. The Gophers did so by a two-game combined scored of 20-1. The momentum didn’t end there.
Chatfield entered the Class AA state tournament as the No. 3 seed and departed Caswell Park in North Mankato as No. 1 following a 3-2 victory over top-seeded Proctor in the championship game. The Gophers scored three runs in the top of the first inning and didn’t surrender that lead en route to claiming its first state championship in four state tournament appearances.
Senior right fielder Devann Clemens had two RBIs and junior pitcher Claire Springer scattered eight hits and struck out four to help Chatfield (28-2) keep Proctor (24-2) at bay.
Senior catcher Baylie Peterson was 2 for 3 for the Rails lost to a Minnesota school for the first time this season.
Third place
Maple Lake opened the third-place game with four runs in the top of the first inning and two more in the second en route to a 9-0 victory over Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton. Senior catcher Jolyssa Hickman led a 15-hit parade by going 4 for 4 with three RBIs. Sophomore shortstop Kelsi Jude and freshman rightfielder Nora Goelz had three hits each for the Irish (24-3). Junior catcher Skylar Spessard had two hits for Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton (22-6).
Consolation
Seventh-grade rightfielder Teagan Smith hit a one-out single to center field in the bottom of the seventh inning to send LeSueur-Henderson to a 6-5 victory over Pipestone Area in the consolation final. Sophomore Brynn Biedscheid was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a run scored for the Giants (22-4). Junior catcher Melody Remund was 2 for 3 for the Arrows (16-11).
