GLADSTONE---The Delta County Junior Girls (age 13-14) opened defense of their 2015 state championship with a tough 3-2 win over Kingsford in the district tournament Thursday night at the Gladstone High School softball fields.
Gabi Salo, who led the DC All-Stars to the Central Regional championship game last summer, was strong in the circle again Thursday, striking out 15 batters.
Delta County stranded two baserunners in each of the first two innings, but finally grabbed the lead with two runs in the bottom of the third inning.
Maddy Block led off with a walk and scored on a base hit by Dakota Cloutier. Jasmine Clark's base hit made it a 2-0 game.
Kingsford got on the board in the fourth inning when Maggie Strehlow doubled home Brooke Kriegl. Delta County scored an unearned run in the sixth inning to regain the two-run lead, and the girls needed that run as Kingsford rallied in the seventh inning.
Strehlow walked, stole second, went to third on a passed ball, and scored on a base hit by Kathleen Seldon. That made it 3-2, but Salo got a strikeout to end the game.
Later on Thursday, Kingsford bounced back to beat Norway, 16-6, to eliminate the Norway girls from the tournament. Delta County and Kingsford will face each other again Friday night in the district championship game in Gladstone.
Game time is 6:00 ET. The game will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and it will be streamed on-line at www.rrnsports.com.
Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos taken during Thursday's game.
Gabi Salo, who led the DC All-Stars to the Central Regional championship game last summer, was strong in the circle again Thursday, striking out 15 batters.
Maddy Block led off with a walk and scored on a base hit by Dakota Cloutier. Jasmine Clark's base hit made it a 2-0 game.
Kingsford got on the board in the fourth inning when Maggie Strehlow doubled home Brooke Kriegl. Delta County scored an unearned run in the sixth inning to regain the two-run lead, and the girls needed that run as Kingsford rallied in the seventh inning.
Strehlow walked, stole second, went to third on a passed ball, and scored on a base hit by Kathleen Seldon. That made it 3-2, but Salo got a strikeout to end the game.
Later on Thursday, Kingsford bounced back to beat Norway, 16-6, to eliminate the Norway girls from the tournament. Delta County and Kingsford will face each other again Friday night in the district championship game in Gladstone.
Game time is 6:00 ET. The game will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and it will be streamed on-line at www.rrnsports.com.
Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos taken during Thursday's game.
