WEST FARGO — With the Eastern Dakota Conference's two top softball teams and crosstown rivals squaring off in a Monday doubleheader, there was surely bound to be some chaos.
Surely enough, chaos ensued.
No. 2-ranked West Fargo and No. 5-ranked West Fargo Sheyenne both entered Monday's showdown without a blemish in EDC play, both racing off to perfect 12-0 starts in the conference.
Something ultimately had to give, and it was Sheyenne prevailing in game one of the twin bill, squeezing out a 12-11 victory in extra innings.
Sheyenne made it a sweep with an 11-7 victory in the second game.
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In Game 1, junior Abby Misialek — who went 3 for 5 — was the hero, plating the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning when she lined one off the glove of West Fargo sophomore pitcher Grace Wehri to score sophomore Kate Geiszler from third.
The game only made it to the eighth inning to begin with because of a wild seventh that saw the Packers rally from four down to take a 10-9 lead before the Mustangs knotted the score again in the bottom half.
Certainly a game for the ages for the fans who came out on a breezy North Dakota night, and a game Sheyenne head coach Mark Woodbury fully expected to come right down to the wire.
"It was a great game," Woodbury said. "Both teams battled hard. I think the team that batted last was going to be the team that was going to win and we just happened to be the team that batted last.
"West Fargo is a really good team. You can never hesitate against them because they always play hard, they're well coached and we really like playing them because it makes us better."
It was looking like easy work early on for the Mustangs. They jumped out to a 4-0 lead after three innings thanks to three RBIs from senior Madison Glienke and one from Addie Rolstad.
The Packers managed to tie the game 5-5 in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Sydney Dye which brought home senior Sophie Ochocki.
West Fargo gave up the next four runs, however, allowing the Mustangs to enter the seventh with a 9-5 lead and a chance to close it out.
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As all great teams do, the Packers didn't go away quietly. A sac fly from Wehri scored junior Emma Johnson to cut the deficit to three, but also meant that West Fargo had just one more out to work with.
That proved to be no worry. The Packers strung together three more hits to rally. Sophomore Aubrey Finn got the party started with a single to right field, scoring sophomore Courtney Docktor and Dye. Right after that, a single from freshman Kendel Krenz moved Finn over to second, and Finn and Krenz would ultimately score on a double to left field by freshman Katelyn Kackman to suddenly put the Packers into the lead for the first time all game.
Now down 10-9 in the bottom half of the seventh, the Mustangs received a one out single to center field from Misialek to score junior Quinn Thompson from second after she had walked. That knotted the score at 10-10 and sent the game into extras.
In the eighth, Docktor doubled to left field off of eighth grader Briley Thompson, who entered the game in relief of Mustangs starting pitcher Kyra Narum. Docktor's knock scored Ochocki from first to put West Fargo back in the lead 11-10.
A triple from Geiszler in the bottom half of the inning scored sophomore Makenna Alexander to tie the game at 11 and setup Misialek for the walkoff hit.
Geiszler went a perfect 5 for 5 with two RBIs to lead the Mustangs while Glienke finished 3 for 4 with four RBIs. Misialek and sophomore Anyah Moffett added two RBIs apiece while Rolstad and sophomore Lauren Schauer chipped in one.
Kackman, Finn, Docktor and Dye all added two RBIs for the Packers while Wehri and Krenz added one. Docktor went 4 for 5 at the plate while Kackman went 2 for 4.
Narum went seven innings in the circle for Sheyenne, allowing 10 runs on 12 hits while recording four strikeouts and allowing two walks.
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Thompson allowed one run on one hit in relief of Narum, fanning three and walking one in her lone inning.
Johnson started the game in the circle for West Fargo, allowing six runs on nine hits for the Packers, striking out six and walking one through four innings of play.
Wehri finished in relief with seven strikeouts and four walks, allowing six runs on six hits.
WF 000 320 51--11 13 2
WFS 220 131 12--12 15 4
WF Docktor 4-5, 3 1B, 2B, 2 RBI. Kackman 2-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI.
Grace Wehri (L) 6-6-6-4-7-0
WFS Kate Geisler 5-5, 3 1B, 2 3B, 2 RBI. Madison Glienke 3-4, 2 2B, 4 RBI. Abby Misialek 3-5, 2 RBI.
Briley Thompson (W) 1-1-1-1-3-0
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