The Vikings softball team played at Caswell Park in Mankato on Wednesday in the first round of the Class AAA State Tournament.
The post season run for North Branch has been nothing short of stellar. Going into the section playoffs as the 6th seed. Only to go on to beat the #1, #2 and #3 seeds on their way to the section championship, where they would go on to beat Grand Rapids 3-1. They hoped to carry that momentum into their first round game against the defending Class AAA State Champs Mankato East. Unfortunately for North Branch it was a slow start. They were unable to get a baserunner in the first three innings. The Cougars had a breakout first inning, scoring 10 runs. The 2nd inning for the Vikings defense was much improved, only allowing 1 run to score. Down 11-0 entering the bottom of the 3rd inning, the Vikings were looking to get back into a groove defensively and make it another quick inning. But Mankato East once again broke out and scored 5 more runs. The Vikings could've easily hung their heads and given in, but they came out in the 4th inning with something to prove. Their first three batters reached and it was Aubrey Charpentier who batted in two runs to get the Vikings on the board. As they seem to gain momentum, they would still need at least 5 runs to push the game past the 5th inning. It started off well with a base hit but the Cougars quickly shut it down ending the game 16-2.
For the Vikings their State Tournament run is not over! They'll play Simley tomorrow in the consolation bracket at 9am. A win would put them in the consolation championship game tomorrow night at 7pm.
Comments