Royals Snag Wins in Minnesota

The Lake Region State College (LRSC) softball team went to Rochester MN to play 3 games in the Rochester Community Technical College sports dome. The Royals won their first game was against Riverland Community College by the score of 20-1 in 5 innings. In the first inning, the Royals scored 15 runs sending 20 batters to the plate, then in the second and third innings scoring 2 runs and 3 runs respectively. For the game, Sam Shumway had a double and a triple while scoring 3 runs with 3 RBI's. Lainee Miller hit her 4^th homerun of the season and scored 3 times. Eight batters for the Royals had at least one hit. Tyra Robertson, Dani Ruest, Emery Miller, and Jacey Ledochowski each had a double. Alex Chapman got the pitching win giving up just 1 run off 2 hits and striking out one.

In the second game of the day, the Royals took on Mon-Dak conference opponent Dakota College at Bottineau (DC-B) winning the game in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the 7^th by the score of 6-5. Dani Ruest, Sydney Beneda, and Ainsley Olson led the Royals in the hitting category with 2 hits each. Ruest had her first college homerun in 5^th inning along with a double in the first plus scored 3 runs. The Lady Jacks of Dakota College led for most of the game off of homeruns by Claire Hiebert and Alexandria Guoriglia. In the fourth inning the Royals were able to rally on 2 outs after Hailie Blackburn singled, Sydney Beneda singled then Ainsley Olson doubled scoring them both cutting the lead making the score 4-3. In the fifth inning, DC-B scored one run but in the bottom half of the inning, Dani Ruest's lead-off solo homerun brought the score to 5-4. In the sixth inning, Sydney Beneda lead off with a single, stole second, and was safely moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Ainsley Olson but an errant through allowed Beneda to score to tie the score at 5-5. In the top of the seventh, a runner was place on second base in accordance to the tie breaker rule and for time constraints, the Royals were able to get out of the half inning with runners at second and third and one out when Sam Shumway caught a line drive in center field then threw to second base for the force out double play. Then in the bottom of the seventh, Dani Ruest scored the game winner with one out after Lainee Miller hit a line drive to right field. Ainsley Olson pitched the complete game for the Royals giving up 5 earned runs off 12 hits, walking 2, and striking out 4.

The third game of the day was against Bryant & Stratton College out of Wisconsin. The Royals were unable to get much going in the game losing by the score of 9-0. The BS-C pitcher, Sydney Berling, pitched 4 innings giving up only one hit to Sam Shumway in the first inning. Alex Chapman and Ainsley Olson each pitched 2 innings for the Royals. Chapman gave up 4 earned runs off 3 hits, 3 walks, and 1 strike out. Olson gave up 2 earned runs off 5 hits, 1 walk, and 1 strike out.

Go Royals!