MINOT, N.D. - To give the Minot Ryan softball team a third-place finish in the North Dakota state softball tournament, pitcher Katie Backes took it upon herself for the final two outs.
Backes pitched a complete game in the Lions' 9-1 win over Bismarck on Saturday afternoon, striking out her 10th batter on the night for the second out in the top of the seventh inning before inducing the groundout back to pitcher's circle for the final out, clinching the third-place finish in state for Minot Ryan.
"I think that's a great way for our seniors to end and we came out with a little bit of authority, Katie threw a really good game, that's the way you want to end the season right, like that, on a win," Lions head coach Fred Mueller said. "Show everybody what we're a little bit about, and taking third in state is the best we've ever done, so that's great. We finished sixth last year, fifth the year before, so it's the way we wanted to end it."
Backes, who will play on the Minot State University softball team next season, allowed three hits and one run in her seven-inning outing, and credited catcher and fellow senior Morgan Abel's pitch-calling for her strong performance.
"Pretty much everything Morgan was calling, she called a really great game, a lot of outside, a lot of stuff like that, and she knows what she's doing back there more than anyone," Backes said.
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B 000 010 0- 1 3 3
MBR 232 002 x- 9 11 0
W-Backes. L-Lardy.
Fifth place
Fargo Shanley 4,
Fargo South 3
Hillary Rotunda picked up the win in the circle and went 2-for-3 with two RBIs to lead Fargo Shanley to a 4-3 win over Fargo South in the fifth-place game at the North Dakota state softball tournament.
Victoria Thelen went
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1-for-3 with an RBI for the Deacons.
Cassandra Hillen was
1-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs to pace the Bruins.
FS 300 000 0- 3 6 3
SHA 300 100 x- 4 9 1
W-Rotunda. L-Pahl.
Seventh place
Fargo North 14,
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Devils Lake 0
Fargo North's Tana Teschendorf went 4-for-4 with four RBIs and three runs to lead Fargo North to a 14-0 win over Devils Lake in the seventh-place game at the North Dakota state softball tournament at the South Hill Complex.
Ashley Mjoness picked up the win for the Spartans.
FN 411 305 - 14 18 0
DL 000 000 - 0 3 4
W-Mojoness. L-Fee.
