Bottineau’s Harmony Bliss singles in the bottom of the fourth inning against Rugby in the Region 3 Tournament on Wednesday, May 20, at Scheels South Hill Sports Complex. Bliss went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Mike Kraft/MDN

With a roster devoid of any seniors after graduating nine from last year’s team, this year had all the makings of a rebuild for the Bottineau softball team.

That’s why the games are played on the diamond and not on paper, as the Stars are one win away from a return trip to the state tournament.

Bottineau plated a run across all five innings and Peyton Robertson delivered another quality performance in the circle for the second time in as many days, sending the Stars to the Region 3 title game with a 10-0 victory over Rugby in the semifinals on Wednesday, May 20, at Scheels South Hill Complex.

“We’re young,” Bottineau coach Carrie Tweed said. “We’ve got six eighth graders out here on our team and everyone has just stepped up. They’ve come together. This week has just been amazing. Everyone has a role and they are all doing it.”

The No. 3 seed Stars will play top-seeded Des Lacs-Burlington/Lewis & Clark in a rematch of last year’s Region 3 championship game. The Lakers won that contest, 8-6, but Bottineau won the ensuing state qualifier against Ray to earn its first state tournament appearance in program history.

The Stars have three juniors on the roster – Kennedy Handeland, Darbe Abrahamson and Mataya Lafromboise – but the remaining 13 are underclassmen, with 11 being eighth graders and freshmen.

Each grade level played a role in Bottineau’s semifinal victory, from the batter’s box, to the pitching circle to the defense in the field. All nine starters reached base at least once and eight recorded a hit. Eighth graders Maven Tweed, Kinley Tweed and Kaidyn Oakland, sophomore Harmony Bliss and Abrahamson all registered multi-hit games and freshman Norah Gorder drove in a run and scored twice. Maven Tweed led the Stars with three RBIs

“It’s been a very good experience,” Abrahamson said. “These girls are really ready to play and everybody has really been pushing through. It’s weird to have a really young team, but it’s nice to see the girls grow over such a short time.”

The Stars plated a run in the first and second innings before taking control of the game with a five-run third to build a 7-0 advantage. Oakland and Maven Tweed both registered two-run singles in the frame.

Abrahamson plated Gorder with a double to center in the fourth. Kinlee Tweed also doubled during the game for Bottineau, who collected 13 hits as a team.

The Stars ended the game via mercy rule with two runs in the fifth. Maven Tweed grounded out to second, allowing Ellie Artz to score from third. Kinlee Tweed followed by lacing the first pitch she saw into center field to score Bliss.

“We’re just taking it one game at a time,” Carrie Tweed said. “It doesn’t seem to get to them. They’re not cracking. They’re holding their own and they’re not caving to the pressure.”

A day after tossing 117 pitches in a win against Bishop Ryan/Our Redeemer’s, Robertson was back in the circle against the Panthers. The sophomore only needed 68 pitches to get through five innings of work, allowing two hits and striking out eight. She struck out the side in the fourth. In two games this postseason, Robertson has allowed one run on seven hits, striking out 18 in 12 innings.

The team may look drastically different from a year ago when Robertson was a freshman, but the winning feels just as good as always.

“It feels the same, but it’s with a different group of people, so it just makes me happy for how young we are,” Robertson said. “We’ve just come so far.”

The bright lights of the postseason haven’t phased the youthful Stars. Through two games in the region tournament, Bottineau has outscored its opponents 17-1, logging 22 hits and committing just three errors.

“The girls know that we’re always in their corner no matter what, so I think that just pushes them knowing that we’re all in this together win or lose,” Abrahamson said.

Audrina Ratajczyk and Brooke Best had hits for the Panthers. Ratajczyk singled to lead off the second and Best had a base hit in the fifth.

The Stars will have two chances to win one game and advance to the state tournament if needed. They would get the automatic berth by defeating the Lakers in the championship game. If they lose, Bottineau would need to defeat the winner of Renville County and Glenburn in a state qualifier immediately following the title game.

Rugby’s season came to an end following a 15-4 loss to Glenburn in an elimination game.

ELIMINATION GAMES

GLENBURN 13, STANLEY 1

Aubrie Quick and Mila Jones homered for No. 5 Glenburn, which tallied 15 hits over four innings in a 13-1 victory over No. 9 Stanley to keep its season alive.

The Panthers jumped out to a 9-0 lead after two innings, scoring five runs in the first and plating four more in the second.

Quick, Jones and Finnley Andel all delivered RBI singles in the opening frame. Callie Martin scored Sophie Cunningham on an RBI ground out to the pitcher and Andel came in to score on a wild pitch.

The Panthers offense didn’t slow down in the second, as Quick sent the first pitch she saw during her second at-bat to left field and came around to score on an inside-the-park home run, also plating Emma Jones. Cunningham and Andel also recorded RBI singles during the inning.

Mila Jones hit a solo home run in the fourth and Andel recorded her third RBI of the contest on a single to third, plating Cunningham. Zoey Rice capped off the scoring for the Panthers with a two-out RBI single to middle of the infield, allowing Andel to score.

Glenburn’s Callie Martin was perfect through the first three innings before allowing her first baserunner to lead off the fourth. Martin struck out eight or the first nine batters she faced and finished with 12. She went all five innings, allowing one run on two hits.

The Blue Jays plated their lone run in the fourth on an RBI single off the bat of Kerrigan Gustafson.

Quick, Mila Jones, Cunningham and Andel all collected three hits for the Panthers. Quick and Andel each had three RBIs.

RENVILLE COUNTY 18, BISHOP RYAN/OUR REDEEMER’S 2

A 24-run outburst wasn’t enough to get by Rugby the previous day, but 18 runs was more than enough for Renville County against Bishop Ryan/Our Redeemer’s.

No. 2 seed Renville Country started fast with seven runs in the first inning and put the game out of reach with 10 runs in the third en route to an 18-2 victory over the sixth-seeded Lions, ending Bishop Ryan/ORCS’ season. Renville County was coming off a 27-24 loss to Rugby.

All nine Renville County hitters recorded at least one hit and eight registered RBIs and runs. Tayya Aufforth finished 2-for-2 with two doubles, four RBIs and two runs scored. Kenna Aufforth also doubled and had four RBIs. Cathryn Getty and Rylee Hedberg each finished with three hits.

Renville County led off the game with a walk and three consecutive hit batters to plate its first run. Kenna Aufforth followed with a two-run double to center field, plating Taya Aufforth and Macy Bryans. Hedberg singled in a run and Taya Aufforth doubled in two.

Renville County recorded eight hits and 10 runs in the bottom of the third to take a 17-1 lead. Bryans, Brooke Zimmer, Kenna Aufforth, Olivia Ogaard, Cathryn Getty, Marleigh Henry and Taya Aufforth all drove in runs in the inning. Renville County brought 15 batters to the plate.

Bishop Ryan/ORCS scored a run in the second and fifth. Miyah Harvey singled home Haylee Schwan to put the Lions on the board and Cambree Zwak doubled in Anna Hall in the fifth.

Kristin Brunner finished 2-for-3 for Bishop Ryan/ORCS

Ogaard earned the win in the circle for Renville County, allowing two runs on nine hits over five innings.

GLENBURN 15, RUGBY 4

The Panthers scored five runs in each of the first three innings to keep their season alive, winning its second elimination game of the day, 15-4, over Rugby. Glenburn will play Renville County in an elimination game on Thursday, May 21, at 1 p.m, with the winner advancing to a state-qualifier.

Emma Jones homered for Glenburn, Aubrie Quick tripled and Mila Jones doubled twice, as Glenburn put up 14 hits. Julia Young and Mila Jones each collected three hits. Mila Jones finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored.

It took one pitch for Glenburn to grab a 1-0 lead, as Emma Jones homered to left. Mila Jones doubled home a run and Zoey Rice added an RBI single with two outs.

The first seven Glenburn batters reached base safely in the second, as Glenburn tacked on five more runs for a 10-1 lead. Glenburn drew four walks in the frame.

Callie Martin recorded the win for Glenburn in the circle. She allowed four runs on seven hits, striking out four and walking four.

Audrina Ratajczyk drove in a team-high three runs for Rugby. Alex Ratajczyk went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored.

RENVILLE COUNTY 8, RAY 4

Compared to its first two games at the Region 3 Tournament, eight runs hardly seemed like a lot for Renville County. But it proved to be enough to play another game, eliminating Ray, 8-4. Renville County will play an elimination game against Glenburn with the winner advancing to a state-qualifier against the loser of Des Lacs-Burlington/Lewis & Clark and Bottineau.

Renville County rallied to keep its season alive, scoring the final five runs over the last two innings. Renville County trailed 4-3 entering the bottom of the fifth. Taya Aufforth walked with the bases loaded to tie the game and Brooke Zimmer gave Renville County the lead with an RBI single to short.

Renville County added some insurance with three runs in the sixth. Marleigh Henry and Taya Aufforth each had run-scoring doubles with two outs.

Aufforth and Zimmer each had two hits and two RBIs.

Brinlee Cancade and Sailyr Bothe each doubled for the Jays. Bothe finished 2-for-3 with an RBI. Cancade registered two RBIs to lead Ray.