The Faribault Falcon fastpitch softball team defeated the Rochester John Marshall Rockets 13-8 in a nine-inning game in Rochester on Thursday night.

The game had multiple home runs, with Faribault belting three and John Marshall two during the high-scoring affair.

Senior Bre Bresnahan lifted a three-run homer in the first and a solo shot in her next at-bat in the third inning and sophomore Abby Van Ryn clubbed a two-run round tripper in the third inning.

In the top of the first inning, McKayla Armbruster started a hit parade with a one-out single that was followed by a single by Claire Drentlaw. Bre Bresnahan smacked a 1-0 pitch just to the left of the scoreboard in right field and it was 3-0.

In the bottom of the inning, Armbruster walked the first batter, who scored later in the inning on a wild pitch.

The Falcons added three runs in the third after Bresnahan hit a line drive over the centerfield fence with one out, junior Ellie Knutson connected for a single with two outs and Van Ryn cracked her shot to make it 6-1.

Faribault added another run in the fourth inning. Armbruster singled with one out, Drentlaw walked and Bresnahan hit a grounder the shortstop failed to field, allowing Armbruster to score and it was 7-1.

After Lauren O'Neil threw out the first batter in the fifth inning from right field, No. 9 hitter Tayler Titus walked, Abby Gee jumped on the first pitch for a single, Sennes jumped on the first pitch resulting in an error, setting the stage for a big Rocket inning,

No. 3 hitter Megan Karp attacked a 0-2 pitch to right center for a two-run single. Cleanup hitter and pitcher Mel Boisen drilled the first pitch to center for a three-run homer and then Gena Pula clubbed a solo shot to tie the game at 7.

The Falcons took the lead in the top of the seventh after a couple of ground outs to start the inning, Knutson walked, Van Ryn singled and Camryn Salmonsen hit a sharp single to right, scoring Knutson. Faribault ended the inning with the bases loaded.

In the bottom of the seventh after a one-out walk advanced to second on a ground out, the Rockets were down to their last strike when Pula connected on a 1-2 pitch to knock in the tying run and was thrown out trying to get to second base, which ended the inning.

In the top of the ninth, Cassie Swanson crushed a ball off the fence in center for a leadoff double. Knutson executed a sacrifice to get her to third, Van Ryn hit an RBI single, Salmonsen hit a single, putting runners at the corners, when Lauren O'Neil hit a fly ball to shallow center and Van Ryn scored on the play, giving O'Neil the RBI. Alison Schak then got her first hit of the day and Armbruster ended the onslaught with a two RBI double and Faribault was up 13-8 going into the bottom of the ninth.

Armbruster went the first five innings and threw 83 pitches, 55 for strikes, fanning six and walking two. Both walks scored. She allowed eight hits.

Junior Drentlaw came in the sixth inning and struck out eight while walking two batters.  One of her two walks scored. Drentlaw finished the game over the last four innings throwing 79 pitches, 41 for strikes, and allowed three hits.

Drentlaw struck out the first batter in the ninth, then there was an error before Drentlaw retired Karp for the first time in the game by striking her out. After a single by Boisen, Drentlaw struck out Pula to end the game.

Here are your line totals, in my scorebook anyway:

Faribault: 13 runs, 15 hits, 2 errors, 10 runners left on base, 8 in scoring position

John Marshall: 8 runs, 11 hits, 1 error, 5 runners left on base, 3 in scoring position

Faribault is now 8-0 and entered the day's action ranked third in Class 3A with the latest coaches poll coming out earlier in the day.

The Falcons have a doubleheader at Albert Lea on Friday and play three games at the Lakeville North Tournament on Saturday.

John Marshall fell to 3-5, with all of their losses coming against some very good teams.

Drentlaw gets the win and the senior Boisen the loss.

I thought Boisen got tired in the ninth and it would not be a surprise after throwing 160 pitches in the game with 114 for strikes. She struck out seven Falcons and walked four.

Our Faribault State Farm Insurance agents Faribault players of the game courtesy of Tony Langerud and Jason Krohn were Bresnahan with two homers and six RBI, Van Ryn with four hits and three RBI, Salmonsen collected three hits and a big two out RBI in the seventh. The junior left fielder also made an incredible running catch to end the fourth inning with runners on first and second base.

Other players of the game were Armbruster with her three-hit day and two RBI and Drentlaw for shutting the door after the Rocket eruption in the fifth inning.

Falcon McKayla Armbruster pitches to John Marshall- photo by Gordy Kosfeld
Falcon McKayla Armbruster pitches to John Marshall- photo by Gordy Kosfeld
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