FIELD TWP- The perfect season record for the North Woods softball team gained its first blemish with a loss Monday to Mesabi East, but the Grizzlies came roaring back on Tuesday to demolish Chisholm 16-3 and move to 8-1 on the season.
The Grizzlies might still have been smarting from Monday’s loss in the first inning against Chisholm, as the Bluestreaks tagged North Woods starter Helen Cook for three singles, a triple, and two walks to take a 3-0 lead with the Grizzlies still to bat.
North Woods got two of those runs back in the bottom of the inning, with Koch driving home Addy Hartway on a single and then scoring herself on a wild pitch.
Hartway put the Grizzlies on top for good in the second inning with an inside-the-park home run to right field, with Lauren Burnett scoring ahead of her for a 4-3 lead.
The Bluestreaks went down in order in the top of the third, and then the Grizzlies’ scoring machine kicked into overdrive. A mind-numbing 16 North Woods batters came to the plate in the bottom half of the frame. Burnett, Karah Scofield, Hartway, Skyler Yernatich, Avery Thiel, and Evelyn Brodeen all drove in runs in an 11-run blitzkrieg that left the Bluestreaks stunned at the reversal of fortunes and staring into a 15-3 abyss. The Grizzlies shut out the Bluestreaks over the next two innings and added one more run for the 16-3 blowout win.
Koch went all the way on the mound, giving up seven hits and three runs over five innings while notching three strikeouts.
North Woods stole 15 bases in the game, with four players having multiple steals. Brodeen was a perfect three-for-three at the plate with an RBI.
North Woods Head Coach Dee Ann Sandberg was pleased that the Grizzlies bounced back so well.
“We had a rough game yesterday, but they came back and and we switched up a little bit,” Sandberg said. “I knew they’d come around – they’re all good athletes.”
It’s a more confident Grizzlies team on the field this year, in part due to maturity, and also due to the players’ familiarity with each other and a strong desire to win. Sandberg said many of the girls have been playing together since they were in third grade.
“They’re playing great, and that’s all we can ask,” Sandberg said.
North Woods could have used some of those hits, steals, and runs on Monday, as all were in short supply in a disappointing 7-1 loss to Mesabi East.
The Grizzlies had another game scheduled for Wednesday at Cherry.