FARGO-A dominant pitching performance and a big fifth inning led Stanley to a 9-2 win over Thompson in the opening game of the North Dakota Class B state softball tournament on Thursday at Mickelson Park.
Rebekah Taylor struck out 13 batters while allowing three hits and walking four. From the fourth to sixth innings, eight consecutive outs came by strikeout. "I was kinda worried because I had a bad warmup," said Taylor, who went 1-for-3 at the plate with a walk and scored two runs. "But I just tried to work my corners with the fastball. My changeup wasn't working so I threw a couple rise balls. I tried to mix it up."
The game looked like it could go either way going into the bottom of the fifth inning, with Stanley leading 2-1. The Blue Jays then blew the game open with a seven-run rally to take a 9-1 lead. Eight base runners reached before the Tommies recorded the first out. Megan Mills picked up two RBIs with a single to left field, driving in Hope Parmenter and Taylor.
The big fifth followed up a second-inning home run by Caitlyn Enger that made the score 2-0. Thompson center fielder Annie Nistler almost saved the home run with an acrobatic attempt at the fence, but the ball fell out of her glove as she hit the fence.
Thompson scored its first run in the second inning on an error. Nistler hit a pop up to right and the right fielder got underneath it, but the ball popped out of her glove. Lindsey Stegman, who reached on a walk and stole second, scored on the play. The Tommies added another run in the top of the seventh.
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Thompson 000 010 1--2 3 3
Stanley 110 070 x--9 8 1
Ivesdal and Overbe. R. Taylor and M. Taylor. W-Taylor, L-Ivesdal. HR-S, Enger.
