Northfield Softball Defeats Faribault in Dundas Dome

The Faribault Falcons and Northfield Raiders were supposed to play in Northfield Thursday.  The game was moved to the Dundas Dome due to rainy conditions.

The Raiders won 6-3 after jumping to a 6-0 lead following two innings of action.

Northfield had 10 hits, Faribault 5 hits.  The Raiders committed 3 errors while the Falcons played error free ball.

Aly Cook, 8th grade, went the distance in the pitcher's circle for Faribault, striking out 10, walking 5 and allowing 10 hits.  She threw 120 pitches, 75 strikes while facing 33 batters.

Courtney Graff, senior, lefthanded pitcher, started for Northfield throwing 2 innings of no-hit ball while striking out 3 batters.

Rylee Blandin, senior, pitched the last 5 innings, allowing 5 hits, 3 runs, all earned, with 8 strikeouts and 4 walks.

Samantha Mosley, junior, threw 2 strikes to record the final out of the game.

Graff threw 26 pitches, 17 strikes.  Blandin 101 pitches, 71 strikes.

Northfield scored two runs in the first inning.  Graff was walked to start the bottom of the inning then stole second base during a Lucy Menssen, senior, at bat that ended in an RBI single.  Menssen stole second base.

Lindsey Stanton, senior, singled advancing Menssen to third base.  Stanton gained second base during an Emily Broden, junior, at bat.  Menssen scored on a ground out to give Northfield the lead they would never relinquish.

Ruby Holman, senior singled to open the bottom of the second inning followed by a Jaimi Triplett, senior, single placing runners at the corner bases.

Triplett gained second base.  Graff singled in Holman.  Menssen hit a 2-run single then stole second base.

Stanton walked.  Menssen advanced to third base on a passed ball.  Broden walked.  Menssen was forced out at home on a grounder to the pitcher.

Leah Enedy, junior, singled scoring Stanton to give the Raiders a 6-0 cushion.

In the top of the 4th inning the Falcons opened with back-to-back walks by Olivia Smith, junior and Amira Williams, 8th grade.

Following a strikeout, Jamie Adamek, sophomore, singled to load the bases, but the next two batters struck out.  One swinging and one looking.

Lillian Jindra, 8th grade, opened the top of the 5th inning by getting on base due to an error but was anchored there because of a strikeout looking and two pop outs.

Top of the 6th started with a walk by Williams.  Following a strike out looking and a fly out there was an error to place runners at the corners but a strike out swinging ended the threat.

In the top of the 7th, Jindra singled, Reagan Dregenberg, junior, doubled to center placing runners at second and third base.

Amanda Cullen, freshman, singled scoring Jindra.  Smith grounded out, but Dregenberg scored on the play.  Williams clubbed a double to left scoring Cullen.

The final two outs were a strikeout swinging and a ground out.

The Raiders improve to 5-2 while Faribault drops to 1-5.

Northfield travels to Austin Tuesday for their next game.  The Falcons have a make-up game at Mankato East Friday, April 21, 2023.