SAUK RAPIDS -- Anna Benzie hit a two-run home run and Rochester upended Ridgewater 12-4 in the third-place game at the MCAC State Tournament Sunday.
Ridgewater finished the season 28-11.
The Lady Warriors slugged five home runs in the first game of the tournament Saturday, including a grand-slam homer by Brandi Bodin in the top of the eighth inning, yet had to overcome seven home runs by Central Lakes to win 18-13.
The state tournament was scheduled to begin on Friday, but inclement weather forced the tournament to be moved to Saturday and Sunday.
Also on Saturday, Ridgewater edged Southern Division champion Riverland 6-5 in the second game of the day before losing to Itasca 8-0 in the semifinals.
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On Sunday, Rochester outhit the Lady Warriors 12-3 to finish second and advance to the region tournament in Austin.
First Round
Ridgewater 18, Central Lakes 13
Brandi Bodin slugged a grand-slam homer with no outs in the top of the eighth inning and Jodi Merritt followed with a solo shot.
Bodin also hit a two-run homer, finishing with six RBI in a game with a strong wind blowing out to left-center field. Emily Roelike had a three-run homer and Kristin Kahle a two-run shot.
Bodin, Merritt, Nicole Blizil, Molly Anderson and Tiffany Volk had three hits apiece for the Lady Warriors, who finished with 20 hits. Anderson drove in four runs and Roelike three.
Kahle pitched all eight innings for the win, aloowing 16 hits while walking three and striking out two.
Ashley Rodrigues had a three-run homer and a solo shot for Central Lakes. Tina Nichols and Tricia Wippler hit two solo home runs each and Dani Thiese added a two-run round-tripper.
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Ridgewater 430 015 05 --18 20 0
C.Lakes 222 421 00 --13 16 1
HITTING - Ridgewater: Emily Roelike 2-for-5, 2b, 3-run HR, 3 rbi; Nicole Blizil 3-for-5, 2 2b's, rbi; Brandi Bodin 3-for-5, 2-run HR, grand-slam HR, 6 rbi; Brooke Henderson 1-for-6; Kristin Kahle 1-for-4, 2-run HR, 2 rbi; Jodi Merritt 3-for-5, solo HR, rbi; Molly Anderson 3-for-5, 4 rbi; Tiffany Volk 3-for-5; Sara Beyer 1-for-5, rbi ... Central Lakes: Tina Nchols 3-for-5, 2 solo HR's, 3 rbi; Tricia Wippler 4-for-4 2 solo HR's, 4 rbi; Ashley Rodriguez 2-for-5, solo HR, 3-run HR, 4 rbi; Dani Theise 2-for-4, 2-run solo HR, 2 RBI
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- Ridgewater: Kristin Kahle (W) 8-16-13-13-3-2 ... Central Lakes: Ashley Erickson (L) 8-20-18-18-8-4
Second Round
Ridgewater 6, Riverland 5
Bodin's one-out single to left-center scored Nicole Blizil with the winning run. Blizil reached on a double.
Jodi Merritt scattered seven hits in a complete-game victory. She walked two and struck out one.
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Blizil, Bodin and Merritt had two hits apiece for the Lady Warriors.
Riverland 020 120 0 -- 5 7 1
Ridgewater 050 000 1 -- 6 8 2
HITTING - Riverland: Liz Triplett 3-for-3 ... Ridgewater: Nicole Blizil 2-for-4, 2b, 2 rbi; Brandi Bodin 2-for-4, 2b, 3 rbi; Jodi Merritt 2-for-3; Molly Anderson 1-for-3; Tiffany Volk 1-for-3, rbi
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- Riverland: Autum Jergenson (L) 61/3-8-6-5-1-1 ... Ridgewater: Jodi Merritt (W) 7-7-5-4-2-1
Nicole Blizil, Jodi Merritt and Tiffany Volk each had a single to account for Ridgewater's hits off Katie McBride, who walked none and struck out seven for the win.
Kristin Kahle took the loss.
Ridgewater 000 00 -- 0 3 0
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Itasca 301 13 -- 8 12 0
HITTING - Ridgewater: Nicole Blizil 1-for-2; Jodi Merritt 1-for-2; Tiffany Volk 1-for-2 ... Itasca: Anna Benzie 2-for-2, 2b, 2-run HR, 2 rbi
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- Ridgewater: Kristin Kahle (L) 31/3-10-5-5-0-0, Jodi Merritt 11/3-2-3-3-2-0 ... Itasca: Katie McBride (W) 5-3-0-0-0-7
Fourth Round
Rochester 12, Ridgewater 4
The Lady Warriors were outhit 17-8.
Emily Roelike hit a solo home run and finished with two hits and two RBI for Ridgewater. Tiffany Volk also had two hits.
Kristin Kahle was tagged with the loss.
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Ridgewater 200 011 -- 4 8 3
Rochester 305 004 --12 17 2
HITTING - Ridgewater: Emily Roelike 2-for-3, solo HR, 2 rbi; Brandi Bodin 1-for-2; Brooke Henderson 1-for-2; Kristin Kahle 1-for-2, rbi; Tiffany Volk 2-for-3; Sara Beyer 1-for-3 ... Rochester: Melissa Farrell 2-for-3, grand-slam HR, 4 rbi; Hayley Damon 2-for-4, 2-run HR, 3 rbi
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- Ridgewater: Kristin Kahle (L) 51/3-17-12-11-1-2 ... Rochester: Deanna Mach (W) 6-8-4-2-1-3
