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The North Branch softball team lost 4 games in the last week but also came away with a big 15-0 shut out at Zimmerman for its second win of the year.
The Vikings tallied 20 hits against a young Thunder squad April 29.
The Vikes took a 3-0 lead after the first on singles from junior Dottie Graff, senior Anna Johnson and freshman Megan Ranger. The team added 2 more in the second on another Graff single and a single from junior Laura Hubbard.
Another run came in the fifth and another in the sixth before North Branch busted it open with 8 runs in the seventh inning for a 15-0 lead. In the inning, senior Kassy Hoppe and junior Emily Kintschenko had 2 hits each and Ranger slammed a bases-loaded triple to score 3 runs.
Anna Johnson pitched the first 4 innings, striking out 5 and giving up 2 hits. Maggie Johnson pitched the final 3 innings, striking out 4 and giving up 1 hit.
Graff was 4 for 6 and had 2 RBI and Ranger was 3 for 5 with 4 RBI. Kintschenko and Maggie Johnson had 2 hits and 2 RBI apiece and Hoppe was 2 for 2. Senior Shannon OíHern and Anna Johnson had 2 hits each.
The Vikings went on to drop 3 games at the Sauk Rapids tournament last Saturday.
In the opening game, North Branch lost 9-4 to Cambridge-Isanti, giving up 5 unearned runs in the third inning on 2 errors.
North Branch picked up 3 runs in the fourth to narrow the score to 7-3. The runs came on singles from Anna Johnson, OíHern and senior Abby Fairbanks and a double from Maggie Johnson.
The Bluejackets added 2 more in the fifth before the Vikes came up with their final run in the sixth. OíHern singled and came around to score on a single from Fairbanks.
Anna Johnson took the loss, giving up 8 hits while striking out 3. OíHern was 2 for 3 and Fairbanks had 2 hits and 2 RBI.
Annandale handed the Vikes a 9-6 loss in the second game.
North Branch took a 1-0 lead in the first when Graff singled, stole second and scored on an overthrow.
Annandale answered in the fourth by going ahead 4-1 on 2 hits, 3 walks and a hit batter.
The Vikes battled back after Annandale took a 9-2 lead in the sixth inning by scoring 4 runs in the inning, but were unable to capitalize on 3 base runners in the seventh and lost 9-6.
OíHern started the game, giving up 2 hits and striking out 3. Maggie Johnson pitched the last 4 innings, giving up 6 hits and striking out 2.
Ranger was 2 for 4 and scored twice.
North Branch rounded out the day with a 5-3 loss to St. Cloud Cathedral.
The game started strong again for the Vikes as Graff singled and scored on a single from Ranger to go ahead 1-0.
Cathedral answered with 3 in the first on 2 hits, 1 walk and 1 error. They added 2 more in the fourth for a 5-1 lead.
The Vikings came up with 1 in the fifth and 1 in the seventh on singles from Ranger, Graff and OíHern and a double from Anna Johnson.
OíHern took the loss, striking out 2 and giving up 5 hits. Ranger was 2 for 4 with 2 RBI, Maggie Johnson was 3 for 4 and OíHern and Graff were both 2 for 4.
This week started with a 9-0 loss to Big Lake at home Monday. The locals looked strong through the first four innings of play, despite falling behind 2-0 but were unproductive at the plate. The Vikesí first baserunner came in the fourth inning when Graff walked. Maggie Johnson and Fairbanks singled in the fifth but all 3 Viking baserunners were left stranded.
ěHopefully we can turn things around against Foley and next week,î Head Coach Larry Brodin said.
North Branch takes on Foley at home Thursday and travels to St. Michael-Albertville Tuesday, May 11.
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