Minot High freshman Daysi Alm drives in a run with an RBI groundout during the fourth inning against Grand Forks Central on Tuesday, March 31, at the MSU Bubble. Mike Kraft/MDN

There were plenty of teachable moments for Minot High softball head coach Gerard Cederstrom to his youthful Majettes squad throughout the team’s season-opener against Grand Forks Central on Tuesday, March 31.

But those teachable moments are much more digestible following a win compared to when they coincide with a loss.

The Majettes took advantage of several Central miscues and showed discipline at the plate, drawing 14 walks in a 24-9 victory over the Knights in five innings in the season-opener for both teams at the MSU Bubble. Minot High’s run total was the most since putting up 24 runs against Turtle Mountain on April 17, 2025.

“We are constantly learning,” Cederstrom said. “There were a lot of teaching moments from knowing how to read our arm bands to backing up things to the game moving too fast. It’s fun. It’s a young group and they’re learning and they’re not getting frustrated by making mistakes.”

The Majettes (1-0) debuted their new-look lineup filled with several new names following the graduation of seven seniors from last year’s team. This year’s starting lineup features just three upperclassmen in senior Darby Mowbray and juniors McKenna Nygaard and Taryn Dalton.

The entire lineup contributed to the offensive output, as all nine reached base at least once and all scored at least one run. Eight registered RBIs – seven with multiple. Mowbray led the team with four RBIs, while Grace Burdick and Taryn Dalton each had three. Burdick and Fisher Anderson both touched home four times.

Minot High got their first taste of adversity early, surrendering two runs to the Knights (0-1) in the top of the first inning. Adrianna Tande drove in both with a two-run, two-out single to center, plating Kaitlyn Raaum and Sydney Tollefson.

The Majettes didn’t panic and instead scored seven runs in their first plate appearance of the season. They did it with just one hit. After Anderson led off the inning with a single, the Majettes used three walks, three hit batters and two errors to take a 7-2 lead after the first inning.

Minot High would score 12 of the next 15 runs to build a 19-5 advantage. A 10-run third inning by the Majettes required a single hit. Instead, they used plate discipline to manufacture their runs. They drew eight walks and got hit by four more pitches in the inning. Mowbray, Bella Conklin, Fisher Anderson, Nygaard and Burdick (twice) drove in runs with bases-loaded walks.

“It’s definitely teaching us to be patient,” Mowbray said. “We’re going to have to learn that. Last year, that’s what we struggled with the most was not being patient. This year, I think we definitely will improve on that.”

Dalton had the lone hit of the inning, an RBI single to shortstop to score Burdick. The Majettes brought 16 batters to the plate in the third. They finished with just six hits on the night, producing most of their runs as a result of 14 walks, eight hit batters and five Central errors. In her varsity debut, Kaylynn Webb got hit by a pitch four times.

Dalton and Burdick each had two hits, with Burdick recording one of two extra-base hits for the Majettes. The biggest swing came off the bat of Mowbray, who rocketed a ball to the warning track in right field for a two-run triple as part of a five-run fourth.

“I thought it was going to be an inside-the-park home run, but my coach told me to stop at third and whatever he says goes,” Mowbray said.

Minot High had three total hits entering the fourth. The Majettes tallied three hits alone in the frame, as Burdick and Dalton drove in runs with singles.

“We took decent swings at good pitches,” Cederstrom said. “That’s why we have to work on right now is finding your zone, figuring out what you hit well. We’re so young that we don’t know what we hit well. As far discipline goes, they were decent at the plate. It was a good day.”

Nygaard pitched all five innings of the mercy-rule shortened contest. She allowed nine runs – seven earned – on nine hits, walking two and striking out one to earn the victory in the circle. She threw 87 pitches – 54 for strikes.

“I thought Nygaard threw well,” Cederstrom said. “She threw strikes and put the ball in play and gave us the chance to make plays. I thought we made a lot of good plays out there. We made some smart plays, getting an out when we need to get an out. For the first game, I was pleased. We came out and we got after things and we were fairly smart.”

For the first game of the season with a relatively inexperienced team, Cederstrom was pleased with what he saw on the diamond.

“They’re learning,” Cederstrom said. “They’re working hard and they’re trying to get better every play. We had mistakes from seventh graders all the way through the seniors. This is why we play these games and this is why it’s fun to get out here. Just go out and get your reps and get better.”

Due to time constraints, Minot High and Central were unable to play enough innings in the nightcap for it to count as an official game. The Majettes scored 13 runs in two innings and led 13-3 when the game was called. Nygaard was 2-for-3 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored and Layla Dosch had a two-run single in her only plate appearance. Anderson was 2-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored.

The Majettes host Grand Forks Red River in a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 1, at the MSU Bubble beginning at noon.