Vikings win opener

Medecke’s ground rule double provides winning margin

By ROGER JEROME, Sports Correspondent

For the first time in its state tournament history, the Littlefork-Big Falls softball team won an opening round game, doing so in dramatic fashion when Caitlyn Medecke hit a ground rule double to bring home Kelly Hams in a 1-0 Viking win over Verndale Thursday afternoon at Caswell Park in North Mankato.
In tournament appearances in 2003 and 2005, the Vikings lost in the opening round, but the seventh inning rally moved the Vikings to the semifinal round. Hams led off the inning with a solid single to left field. Whitney Junker grounded to pitcher Nicole Bart who retired Junker at first base with Hams advancing to second base. Medecke then drilled a shot to left field which bounced over the fence scoring Hams to end the game.
“It’s a lot of fun to be involved in a game like this with two good teams battling to the end,” Viking coach Mike Imhof said. The game was dominated by pitching with Viking pitcher Kelly Hams getting 11 strikeouts and Bart having 13 for Verndale.
“Kelly probably pitched her best game today,” Imhof said. Hams pitched to seven batters in the first two innings getting six strikeouts. Bart, meanwhile, kept the Vikings off the scoreboard getting several strikeouts using a riser which had the Vikings swinging below the pitch.
Verndale had rallies in the third and seventh innings. In the third, Hams ended the threat by striking out clean-up hitter Alexia Christianson. In the seventh inning, the Pirates had runners on first and third with two outs when Cathy Kempe bunted the ball near home plate. A quick pickup and a strong throw by Medecke ended what turned out to be the Pirates’ last at bat.
After Hams lead off single in the bottom of the inning, Whitney Junker’s ground out turned out to be pivotal. The ball reached Bart quickly, who opted to make the play at first base rather than retiring Hams, who advanced to second to set up the winning run.
“That was the play of the game,” said Imhof. “If she makes the play to second base, the ground rule double wouldn’t have scored the run.”
The game was played under threatening skies and sporadic rainfall. Shortly after the game ended, play was suspended making the rest of the schedule uncertain at press time. The Vikings were scheduled to play Maple Lake at 7 p.m. Thursday, but the game could get moved back or rescheduled for today.
“We saw Maple Lake play earlier today and they have solid pitching and they hit the ball very well,” said Imhof Thursday. “It will be a big challenge, but we feel we can compete with anybody,” he said.
Medecke had two hits in the game while Hams and Carly Anderson had one hit apiece, with Anderson getting a double. The win moves the Vikings overall record to 20-5 while Maple Lake will enter the semi-final game with a 24-2 record.