Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor

Even though the first game of the softball season unraveled into an unbelievable 8-7 loss to White Bear Lake, the Rangers didn’t allow that defeat to distract them from knocking off Mounds View, 8-4, on Friday, April 13.

Forest Lake was in control of this one from the start. The girls put up four runs in the top of the first inning, shut down potential rallies with a strong defense, and then watched Alyssa Dunrud pick up the win after giving up eight hits and five walks.

“This was a great game for us all around,” Rangers head coach Angie Ryan said. “Dunrud stepped up and pitched well in front of an awesome defense.”

The game opened with a Megan Hinrichsen single, which was followed by a Kelly Kent bunt. But instead of having to sacrifice herself in order to advance Hinrichsen, both runners were safe at first and second base.

Up came Jessica Skogen, who ripped a shot deep into center field that scored Hinrichsen, and Forest Lake would get a lead they would never relinquish.

The hits kept coming when Sam Holien sent one into left-center for a double that brought Kent home, and that was followed by Chelsie Nelson’s single, which scored Skogen and Holien.

Unlike the season-opener where White Bear scored seven runs in one inning, Mounds View was never able to get back in the game.

Credit Dunrud and the defense for that one.

The Mustangs couldn’t keep up with Dunrud’s pitches, sending a majority of their hits and foul balls to the opposite side of the field. Whenever Mounds View (2-1) appeared to find a blip of momentum, the Ranger defense stiffened, as they didn’t allow a run until the bottom of the fourth inning.

When Forest Lake (1-2) responded with three more runs at the top of the fifth, there was little doubt the season’s first victory was just a couple innings away.

“We did two things extremely well in this game and that is why we got the win — we had great defense and we strung our hits together,” Ryan shared.

Noting that the middle of the line-up has 13 of the team’s 15 RBIs, Ryan likes the confidence those girls (Kathy Crudo, Skogen, Holien and Nelson) are carrying to the plate.

Nelson finished with three RBIs, two hits and a walk; Skogen was two-for-three, with a walk, and Holien finished the evening by going two-for-four with an extra-base hit.

WHITE BEAR LOSS

The 8-7 loss to White Bear Lake was another great start for the Rangers, where they picked up one run in the first and three more in the third inning.

The problems arose in the fifth, when the Bears capitalized on some Forest Lake pitching woes and scored seven runs on just two hits.

“First game jitters definitely came into play and hopefully we now have those worked out,” Ryan stated.

The contest was certainly not over, though, as the Rangers came up with three runs in the top of the seventh. With two outs and runners on second and third, Forest Lake was unable to take back a game they felt was rightfully theirs.

“Looking at the statistics, we definitely outplayed White Bear and should have come away with the win,” Ryan observed. “It was difficult to not win with how well we played.”

Hinrichsen, Crudo and Skogen all singled, and Nelson hit a double to score three runs.

MONDAY'S GAME

The feel-good moments from the Mounds View win were put on hold on April 16, when the Rangers were blanked by Park, 7-0, in Cottage Grove.

The Wolfpack are one of the top programs in the Suburban East Conference, and that was evident as the undefeated hosts hit five home runs.

This week the girls have Stillwater in town on Wednesday, take part in Richfield’s tournament on Saturday, and travel to Hastings on Monday, April 23.

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