FARGO (FNS) — Hillsboro-Central Valley junior Saige Forseth was in the pitching circle for the dramatic final moments Thursday at Tharaldson Park.

Sophomore Noella Kritzberger tagged out a Velva-Drake-Anamoose runner at third base for the game’s final out as the Burros rallied for an 8-7 victory in the opening round of the North Dakota Class B state softball tournament.

“My heart just stopped and when the ump finally called her out, relief just spilled all over me and I couldn’t be happier,” said Forseth, who came on in relief of Kritzberger in the sixth inning.

The Burros (13-9) scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to overcome a 7-5 deficit. Hillsboro-Central Valley plays defending state champion Central Cass at 4 p.m. Friday in the state semifinals.

“These girls are fighters,” Burros head coach Cory Erickson said. “All season long they’ve been battling back, even when the odds have been against them.”

Central Cass swept the Burros in a regular-season doubleheader at the end of April.

“It’s a second chance for us,” Forseth said. “With this win, we have a ton of confidence going in. I know we can give Casselton a good game.”

Mattie Matthys and MacKenzie Iverson started the Hillsboro-Central Valley seventh-inning rally with back-to-back hits. Forseth drove in a run on a fielder’s choice to cut the Aggies lead to 7-6. Iverson scored from second base off a delayed double steal and throwing error to tie the score at 7-7.

Nicole Hurt then knocked in Forseth from third base with an RBI groundout for an 8-7 lead.

Hillsboro-Central Valley had tied the game in the sixth inning with two runs. Third baseman Molly Knutsvig sparked the rally with an RBI single that scored Kritzberger. MJ Pruneda later scored on a wild pitch that made the score 5-5.

VDA took the lead back in the bottom of the sixth inning. A two-out, two-run single from Kaylee Blumhagen gave the Aggies a 7-5 lead heading into the final inning.

“These girls don’t have any quit in them,” Erickson said. “I’m so proud of the fight that we had today.”

Central Cass begins championship defense with dominating win in Class B softball quarterfinals

FARGO (FNS) — The defending North Dakota Class B softball champions are headed to the semifinals, as Central Cass rolled Minot Ryan 10-4 Thursday at Tharaldson Park in the state quarterfinals.

“It’s critical to win that first one,” Central Cass coach Scott Kost said. “We liked where we were seeded. Now, we got two more to go. We gotta keep doing what we’re doing.”

Central Cass didn’t mess around, sending seven to the plate in the first inning and scoring three. Minot Ryan (13-8) didn’t help itself either with two errors.

Payton Richter hit a single on the first pitch she saw, got to second on a wild pitch and scored on a throwing error with one out to open the scoring. MacKenzie McKinnon hit a double to make it 2-0 and Kaitlyn Houle made it 3-0 with a single.

The Squirrels (21-1) opened it up in the bottom of the third, forcing Minot Ryan pitcher Sidney Lovelace to throw 42 pitches to get through the inning. Squirrels sent 10 to the plate and scored four. Lexi Buhr drove in two with a double, Tori Richter scored another with a single and Josie Buhr was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to push the lead to 7-0.

Payton Richter drilled a three-run triple in the fifth to push the lead to 10-1. That was plenty for Central Cass, as Houle struck out six and gave up one run in five innings in the circle.

Hermanson strikes out 16 batters,

leads DLBLC

into semifinals

FARGO (FNS) — Erica Hermanson struck out 16 batters and carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning Thursday evening at Tharaldson Park. The Des Lacs-Burlington-Lewis & Clark pitcher wasn’t concerned with either.

“I wasn’t focused on my strikeouts or the hits,” Hermanson said. “I just wanted to throw the strikes in there and give them something to swing at.”

Hermanson’s performance sparked the Lakers to a 6-3 victory against Thompson in the opening round of the North Dakota Class B state softball tournament.

“She’s a tough pitcher,” Lakers head coach Peggy Person said. “She had some good stuff today. I thought she moved the ball around really well.”

DLBLC (15-2) plays Kindred at 6 p.m. Friday in the state semifinals. Hermanson pitched 6 1/3 innings and allowed four hits to go along with he 16 strikeouts. Person said Hermanson has struck out as many as 19 batters in a game this season.

“I just went out there and gave it my all,” Hermanson said. “I played like I would play any game, with everything.”

Ava Wille had an RBI single in the sixth inning that gave the Lakers a 6-3 lead, which they carried into the final inning. The Tommies loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning. Hermanson was lifted from the game after she walked Thompson left fielder Ashlyn Warcken. The temperatures were in the low-90s for most of the game. That played into Person’s decision to remove Hermanson in the seventh.

“With this heat, this is the first heat we’ve had (this season),” Person said. “She pitched a lot. That’s a tough job out there. She just needed a break. She was spent.”

Sophomore Brooklyn Benno came on in relief for the Lakers to record the final two outs to earn the save.

“She’s a lot older than that mentally,” Person said. “She’s tough. She’s been in some tough situations this year and she always comes through.”

Thompson broke up Hermanson’s no-hitter in the fifth inning after Taylor Zak led off the frame with a double. That sparked a three-run inning. Carrie Nistler capped the Thompson rally with a two-run single that cut the Lakers lead to 5-3.

Des Lacs-Burlington took an early lead, plating two runs in the first inning. Brooklyn Benno ripped a two-run double to deep center field that gave the Lakers a 2-0 lead.

The Lakers added three more runs in the third inning. Brooklyn Benno added an RBI single for a 3-0 lead. Brynley Benno’s sacrifice fly that scored Brooklyn Benno and gave Des Lacs-Burlington a 5-0 lead.