Sean Williams/MDN Ellington Anderson (9) of Minot High looks on while being on base during a game that occurred earlier this season at South Hill Softball Complex.

DICKINSON – Following an 11-0 blanking of the Legacy Sabers to open West Region Tournament play, the Minot High Majettes softball team had a semifinal matchup with the Century Patriots on Friday afternoon.

With an appearance in the West Region championship and a state tournament ticket on the line, the Majettes also had a shot at revenge against Century, who was one of two teams to beat the Majettes during the regular season.

Guided by a big inning and another strong performance on the mound, Minot was able to get revenge and earn a spot in the West Region Tournament championship game with a 10-1 win over the Patriots on Friday night.

With neither team able to budge early, it was Minot that eventually separated themselves to strike first, and they did not look back after. In the bottom of the third, Jillian Ackerman walked to begin the frame, then was drive home on a double from Ellington Anderson. Tayler Falcon added an RBI single as well to give Minot a 2-0 lead.

After taking an inning off, the Majettes exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the fifth to grab a commanding 9-0 lead. A two-run double from Cierra Erickson then scoring on a double play, E. Anderson being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Ackerman and Taury Hight scoring on a passed ball gave Minot their runs in the frame.

Looking to close the book on this one, the Majettes needed six more outs in order to get revenge and secure their spot in the West Region championship game. With starting pitcher Kirsten Galloway on the mound, that seemed like an easy task.

Galloway piled up eight strikeouts and was perfect through five innings against Legacy earlier in the tournament. Doing what she does best by giving Minot a great chance to win, Galloway continued her dominance in Dickinson by tossing six innings, while allowing one run on four hits with four walks and 10 strikeouts.

Through two games of West Region Tournament play, Galloway has thrown a combined 11 innings, while allowing one run on four hits with four walks and 18 strikeouts.

Closing the door for Minot in the win was Raegan Terrel, who tossed one inning and picked up two strikeouts in the seventh.

Although the Patriots were able to get on the board in the sixth inning on an RBI single from Londyn White, the Majettes countered in the bottom half of the frame when Journey Larson scored on a passed ball.

The run by Larson brought the game to its final of 10-1 in favor of Minot. With the win, the Majettes will play in the West Region Tournament championship game at 2 p.m. this afternoon. The win also gives Minot High a spot in the state tournament, where they will head back to for the first time since 2019.

E. Anderson went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI to lead the way for Minot, followed by Erickson who went 1-for-3 with a double, two walks and three RBI, Halle Baker who went 1-for-3 with an RBI, and Falcon who went 2-for-4 with an RBI.