WILLMAR - The Ridgewater softball team couldn’t have played worse in the first game of an MCAC Southern Division doubleheader against St. Cloud Technical College on Wednesday.
The Warriors committed seven errors and allowed the Cyclones overcome a three-run deficit with 15 runs in the final two innings.
But the Warriors took a collective deep breath and earned the split, taking game two behind solid pitching from Heather Horning and a five-run fifth inning.
SCT took game one 19-8 in five innings and the Warriors salvaged the afternoon with a 13-5 game-two victory.
Ridgewater entered the game ranked No. 5 in NJCAA Division III and SCT was ranked No. 6.
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“It didn’t really look like it today,” said Warriors head coach Todd Thorstad, who was matched up against his brother, SCT head coach Greg Thorstad.
“(Game one) was one of those games,” Todd Thorstad said. “They’re a good hitting team and when you give them seven more tries, they’re going to get some hits and score some runs.”
The Warriors led 7-4 after three innings but the Cyclones took control with a six-run fourth and capped the victory with nine more runs in the fifth.
In game two, Horning allowed four earned runs and struck out seven in the Warriors’ victory. SCT found the defense tough in the game, committing six errors that led to six unearned Warriors runs.
In game one, Dani Emkes homered and tripled in two trips and drove in two runs, and Erica Melbie had two hits.
In game two, Courtney Olson had three hits, including a solo home run, Brooke Wuertz was 3-for-5, Kenzie Long and Brielle Hauge both drove in two runs and Emkes and Haley Huls both had a pair of hits.
“I’m proud of them that able to brush that off that first game and come back and put in a solid (second) game,” Todd Thorstad said.
The Warriors are 3-1 in the Southern Division and 13-5 overall. They play host to Rochester in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. Friday.
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The Cyclones are 3-3 in the Southern Division and 13-8 overall.
Game One
St. Cloud Tech 19, Ridgewater 8
SC Tech 202 69 - 19 14 1
Ridgewater 304 01 - 8 7 7
HITTING – St. Cloud Tech: Holly Schumacher 2-3 hr rbi-3, Jill Rothstein 2-4 … Ridgewater: Kenzie Long 1-4, Brielle Hauge 1-3 2b, Erica Melbie 2-3, Tasha Dallmann 1-3 2b rbi, Dani Emkes 2-2 hr 3b rbi-2
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - St. Cloud Tech: Baylee Lahr (W) 5-7-8-7-6-3 … Ridgewater: Dallmann (L) 5-14-19-12-7-0
Game Two
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Ridgewater 13,
St. Cloud Tech 5
SC Tech 004 100 - 5 8 6
Ridgewater 003 352 - 13 14 1
HITTING – St. Cloud Tech: Dani Chisholm 2-3 … Ridgewater: Brooke Wuertz 3-5 rbi-2, Long 1-5 3b rbi-2, Hauge 1-4 rbi-2, Courtney Olson 3-4 hr rbi, Heather Horning 1-4 2b, Melbie 1-4, Hayley Huls 2-4 2b rbi-2, Emkes 2-3 2b rbi-2
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - St. Cloud Tech: Rothstein (L) 5.1-14-13-7-0-2 … Ridgewater: Horning (W) 6-8-5-4-2-7
