WILLMAR -- With Ashley Schmeling serving as Ridgewater's designated hitter in the elimination game of the NJCAA Region 13 softball tournament on Friday, she was given some instructions before the game from the player she was hitting for.
"I told her that as long as she was batting for me, she should hit a home run," remarked Heather Thoma.
Schmeling listened. The freshman launched a two-run homer with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, giving Ridgewater a 4-1 win over Fergus Falls.
Ridgewater lost its opener to Madison Tech, 3-2, and now needs to beat that same team twice today, beginning at noon, to advance to the nationals next weekend in Rochester.
Thoma pitched all nine innings in the second game to improve to 10-0. She allowed seven hits and no walks.
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The Lady Warriors scored first in the top of the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Dorothy Saulsbury. Fergus Falls came back and tied it, also on a sacrifice fly, in the bottom of the sixth.
With one out in the top of the ninth, Saulsbury lined a single. With two outs, Schmeling uncorked her first home run of the season to make it 3-1. Patina Queenan then reached on an error, advanced on another error and scored on Kristen Hegna's single.
Thoma then retired the side in order in the last of the ninth, all three ground outs to third baseman Calie Rittenour, who had seven assists and three putouts in the game. Schmeling, Hegna and Tara Thielke had two hits each for Ridgewater.
In the first game, Saulsbury and Queenan drove in the Lady Warriors' runs. Rittenour pitched a strong game, allowing seven hits and one walk, while striking out four.
Madison Tech blanked Fergus Falls in the first game of the day.
First game
Madison Tech 3, Ridgewater 2
Madison Tech 000 201 0 -- 3 7 0
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Ridgewater 000 100 1 -- 2 6 1
HITTING - Madison Tech: Chelsa Bednarek 2-for-4; Kayla Adams 1-for-4; Andee Brown 1-for-2; Jenny Rahn 1-for-3, 3b, rbi; Nicole Salis 1-for-3, rbi; Brittany Kalscheur 1-for-3 ... Ridgewater: Calie Rittenour 1-for-3; Britney Glisczinski 1-for-3, 2b; Dorothy Saulsbury 1-for-3, 2b, rbi; Sam Drees 1-for-3; Patina Queenan 1-for-3, rbi; Ashley Schmeling 1-for-3
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- Madison Tech: Margaret Fletcher (W) 7-6-2-2-0-6 ... Ridgewater: Calie Rittenour (L) 7-7-3-3-1-4
Second game
Ridgewater 4, Fergus Falls 1
Ridgewater 000 001 003 -- 4 10 0
Fergus Falls 000 001 000 -- 1 7 1
HITTING - Ridgewater: Kristen Hegna 2-for-5, rbi; Tara Thielke 2-for-5, 2b; Calie Rittenour 1-for-4; Dorothy Saulsbury 1-for-3, sf, rbi; Sam Drees 1-for-4; Ashley Schmeling 2-for-4, 2-run HR, 2 rbi; Patina Queenan 1-for-2 ... Fergus Falls: Nikki Kjeisel 1-for-3, rbi; Brittany Quistorff 1-for-4; Erin Evavold 1-for-4; Melissa Wolvatne 1-for-4; Cassandra Klinek 1-for-3; Sammi Woida 1-for-3; Whitney Blair 1-for-3
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PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- Ridgewater: Heather Thoma (W) 9-7-1-1-0-1 ... Fergus Falls: Erin Evavold (L) 9-10-4-4-0-2
