Despite trailing 3-0 after the third inning, West Region No. 2-seeded Bishop Ryan fought back for a 5-4 walk-off victory and ended Kindred-Richland’s quest for a three-peat.

“This team, as young as they are, has worked hard for me all year long and they never seem to prove me wrong,” Ryan coach Alec Grothe said. “I told them to put up a state title, and they claw and they scratch and they are on their way to do it.”

Sophomore Emma Passa provided the game winner in the seventh inning, as Eden Kramer beat the throw to the plate.

“We worked so hard all season and fought hard to get here,” Passa said. “So, it feels good to beat a really good team.”

Alex Eisen/MDN Ryan junior Sealy Rovig celebrates after delivering an RBI hit to give the Lions a 4-3 lead in the sixth inning against Kindred-Richland in the Class B state tournament.

The East Region No. 3-seeded Vikings built up a 3-0 lead through three innings with Theresa Klinnert squaring up two RBI singles and a fielder’s choice off the bat of Coralie Schwartzwalter.

Meanwhile, Ryan couldn’t capitalize in clutch situations. Most notably, the Lions flew into a double play to end the third inning.

Then, things finally clicked for Ryan in the fourth. Junior Sealy Rovig got the Lions on the board with an RBI single back up the middle and classmate Sidney Lovelace tripled to the fence in left center to bring in Abbie McKay and Rovig.

Tied at 3-3, Vikings’ Brianna Maddock robbed what would have been a two-run home run for Nora Kramer in the fifth.

The Lions, however, got the run they were looking for in the sixth. Rovig came through again with another RBI single. Freshman Taylor Hrichena narrowly slid in safely

Alex Eisen/MDN Ryan freshman Taylor Hrichena (right) slides into home safely before the tag of Kindred-Richland catcher Madison Olien (left) Thursday at the Lyle “Trapper” Lawrence Field in Jamestown.

“We talked a lot this week about not putting pressure into pressure situations,” Grothe said. “Every one of those girls when they stepped to the plate, you could tell they had confidence and that’s what won us the game.”

Ryan seventh-grade starting pitcher Olivia Passa was put to the test in the top of the seventh. Her defense turned up the pressure after an overthrow trying to nab Elizabeth Saewert stealing third base went into the outfield.

Saewert picked herself up and scoring the tying run.

Passa, struggling a little bit with her command, then loaded up the bases with one out. The Vikings were in a prime position to pounce.

Instead, Passa got a pop out and struck out of Maddock to get out of the tense jam with the score still even at 4-4.

“Olivia (Passa) is young and she has a lot of learning to do, but she has been great for us all year,” Grothe said. “To put a seventh grader in the circle and have her compete to get to a state title game is huge for her. She is only going to get better for us.”

Ryan had salvaged new hope and they used in the bottom half. Eden Kramer reached on a bunt single to lead off the decisive seventh inning.

Nora Kramer did the same, looking to sacrifice, but reached regardless on a throwing error. Eden Kramer advanced to third, and that set up Emma Passa to end it.

“I just had to treat it like any other at-bat,” Passa said. “I was just trying to get a good hit and trust my teammates to be smart on the bases.”

On the first pitch Passa saw, she knocked a dribbler over to first baseman Terryn Johnson. Eden Kramer was racing toward home upon hearing the ping of the bat.

Johnson didn’t stand a chance.

Grothe unleashed a massive fist pump in celebrate as the Lions poured out of the dugout to swarm Kramer.

“It’s a huge thing to knock out the two-time state champs,” Grothe said. “I didn’t even tell (my team) that they were the two-time state champs. They knew nothing until we just met in the circle (after the game).”

From the defending state champions to last year’s state runner-up, the Lions road to their first softball state championship doesn’t get any easier. Ryan gets East Region No. 1-seeded Central Cass in the state semifinals at 6 p.m. this evening in Jamestown.

Alex Eisen covers Minot State athletics, the Minot Minotauros and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.