Vikings add third conference victory

The Vikings softball squad is a tale of two teams this year. Last week, the team picked up its third Rum River Conference win to extend its flawless RRC record to 3-0 and fell to Centennial in a non-conference outing for an 0-3 record in non-conference play.
North Branch pitcher Brooke Beaver earned a 5-0 shutout against the Dragons April 15, recording three strikeouts and allowing only one hit in six innings.
The game ended in the sixth because of rain, for an early Vikes victory.
The Vikings opened the scoring with three runs in the first inning.
With two outs, senior Christina Sampson reached on a walk and advanced to second on a steal.
She came around to score when junior Shannon OíHern reached on an error.
Senior Traci Reimann reached on a single and both OíHern and Reimann were driven in on a single from senior Nikki Scaramell to give the Vikes a 3-0 lead.
Sampson reached again on a single in the fifth. Reimann then stepped up to the plate and blasted the ball over the left field fence for a two-run home run and a 5-0 North Branch lead, giving them the win.
Reimann was perfect at the plate, going 2 for 2 with a single, home run and walk and chalking up 2 RBI.
Scaramell was 2 for 3 with 2 RBI and Sampson had a single, walk and scored twice.
The Vikes defense recorded only one error on the day, but soon picked off the runner on a double play to end the threat.
Monday, the squad faced Centennial and amassed seven errors in a 13-6 loss.
Centennial went down 1-2-3 in the first, as North Branch drew first with 2 runs in the inning.
Sampson reached on a single and senior Sarah Rauen walked. Both were driven home on a single from Reimann to give the Vikes a 2-0 lead.
Centennial picked up one in the second, but it was answered by another Vikes run as senior Lindsey Larson singled, senior Heather Peterson doubled and Sampson doubled.
The 3-2 lead lasted until the top of the fourth, when Centennial added 4 more runs on a hit, a walk and an error for a 6-3 lead.
North Branch closed it to 6-4 with a run in the fifth, off a double from Rauen and an RBI single from Scaramell.
Centennial sealed the win by adding 6 runs in the sixth inning, pounding out 5 hits.
Trailing 12-4, North Branch rallied in the seventh to pick up 2 more but was unable to overcome the large deficit.
Reimann was hit by a pitch, reached second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a single from OíHern.
Reimann scored on a single from Larson, and OíHern scored on a single from Abby Fairbanks.
Beaver took the loss, giving up 6 runs in 3 innings. OíHern pitched 4 innings, allowing 4 hits on 1 strikeout.
Reimannís hot bat continued, as she went 2 for 3 with 2 RBI. Sampson and Larson also had 2 hits each, contributing to the teamís 11 total hits.
Head Coach Larry Brodin hopes the team will recover defensively in a conference game this Thursday against St. Michael-Albertville.
The team faces Hermantown and Cloquet in a tournament on Saturday.

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