Valley City vs Hillsboro-Central Valley

Recap

A finish worthy of a postseason tournament game, it was a season-opening battle of the “Blue Valley” teams as Hillsboro-Central Valley hosted Valley City in a Class A/B softball showdown, Friday in Hillsboro. The Hi-Liners motored on ahead with a 9-0 lead after the top of the 3rd. The Burros battled back, scoring ten unanswered runs enroute to a comeback, 11-10 victory.

Valley City tallied five runs in the 1st and four in the 3rd, taking advantage of a sluggish start in the circle for HCV. The Burros went to their third pitcher in the rotation in junior Megan Ensign, who didn’t allow a single run in the 4th-6th innings. In the meantime, the Burros chipped away at that nine-run lead. HCV added one in the bottom of the 3rd as Carsi Hatlestad reached home on an RBI groundout by Sanna Kritzberger. After no scoring in the 4th, the Burros would add three more in the bottom of the 5th. Kritzberger would tally another RBI, with an infield single scoring Kailee Kittelson. Then Mallory Ptacek notched an RBI ground out, scoring Hatlestad, and Danielle DuBois scored on a wild pitch to make the score, 9-4. The Burros would open the flood gates in the 6th, scoring six runs off of just two hits, taking advantage of seven walks from Valley City starter, Adelie Jewett. The Burros would take a 10-9 lead going into the top of the 7th. Valley City would tie the game at ten after an RBI double from Kinlee Sufficool brought home Bailey Leroux. After starting out the bottom of the 7th with a Hatlestad fly-out to right, Dubois drew a hit by pitch allowing courtesy runner, Destiny Ellingson, to run the bases. Ellingson would steal 2nd comfortably, and then 3rd in a gutsy move, to put her right in line for the win. After a Kritzberger walk, Ptacek notched her second RBI of the game, bringing home Ellingson for the game winning run.

Ensign picks up the win in the circle for the Burros, finishing the game with seven strikeouts, along with five hits and one earned run. The Burros start out the season at 1-0 and will look to stay undefeated as they continue their home and season schedule Tuesday, hosting Enderlin.

BOX SCORE:

VC:    10  7  1  12

HCV:  11, 6, 1, 12