WEST FARGO, N.D. -- This may be the first-ever sanctioned North Dakota state softball tournament, but some things just don't change.
West Fargo still is the team to beat.
The Packers proved that Friday, beating Grand Forks Red River 10-0 in a state semifinal game that was shortened to six innings. West Fargo will play Fargo North for the state title today at 4 p.m.
Kacie Johnson, Danielle Nelson and Jessica Woodbury all went 2-for-4 at the plate to lead the Packers, who have won the last 11 state championships at a club level.
West Fargo blew the game open with a seven-run third inning to make the score 8-0.
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"We really only had one bad inning," Red River coach Mike Bisenius said. "We had three of our errors in the third and they took advantage of us. But I'm really proud of the girls. They never gave up and worked hard through the whole game."
Red River knocked off Fargo South 2-0 in Thursday's quarterfinal game thanks to a standout pitching performance by Rachel Koopman. She got the loss Friday, surrendering the 10 runs. Koopman's team made four errors behind her.
The Roughriders struggled to get any offense against West Fargo's pitcher, Johnson, who allowed just two hits in six innings. Taylor Bye and Chelsea Carlson had the Rider hits.
Red River will play Fargo Shanley in today's third-place game at 2 p.m.
"The games have been great so far," Bisenius said. "For the girls, it means so much because we had to earn our way here."
Fargo North 5, Fargo Shanley 0: Carly Kaspari pitched a one-hitter and struck out 10 batters to lead the Spartans to victory in the semifinal matchup. She finished with a flurry, striking out the last three batters she faced.
While Kaspari was solid on the mound, the Spartan offense was steady. North scored single runs in the first, second, fourth, sixth and seventh innings.
The Spartans cracked three triples in the first two innings. Freshman Mara Teschendorf, who went 3-for-4, led off the game with a triple and scored on an Alyssa Boetel groundout. That would prove to be all the offense North needed.
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Senior Ashley Peterson had Shanley's lone hit, a single to center field in the second inning.
Consolation
Minot 9, Fargo South 1: Mackenzie Nagel allowed three hits over seven innings to lead Minot to the victory in the consolation semifinals.
Nagel also went 1-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs and a run scored. Bruin sophomore Erika Binde was 1-for-2, scoring South's only run.
Minot Ryan 10, Devils Lake 0: Beth Jundt and Liva Rovig each had two hits and scored two runs to lead the Lions to victory in the consolation semifinals.
The game was shortened to six innings because of the 10-run rule.
