Sports
Sioux narrowly miss opportunity to advance to state
Tyler Ohmann
05/21/2013
At the beginning of the season the Westhope-Newburg-Bottineau (WNB) Sioux set a lofty goal of making to the state tournament in only the second year of the program.
The Sioux came very close to realizing that dream this past weekend at the region tournament held in Bottineau.
The Sioux opened with a tough 16-6 loss to second-seeded Grafton, then played in an exciting extra-inning thriller to stay alive in the tournament, beating Des Lacs-Burlington-Lewis and Clark (DLBLC) 7-4 and finally came very close to a comeback against a tough Thompson team, but fell 16-12.
The weekend began for the Sioux with a trough start against the Spoilers. Grafton jumped out to an early lead, scoring seven times in the first two innings. WNB scored three times to make the game close in the third, but Grafton answered with seven more runs as they smacked three of their seven hits and drew four walks to take a 14-3 lead.
“It really started to rain in the bottom of the inning, the ball got wet and we just struggled throwing strikes and fielding the ball in the inning,” stated Sioux head coach Layne Fluhrer. “Other than that inning we played with them and it was a confidence booster for our girls.”
WNB would add another trio of runs in the bottom of the fifth, but Grafton added two more in the sixth to put the game away.
Sophomore Jacie Ceglowski went 2-for-2 with two runs and three stolen bases to lead the Sioux. Also strong at the dish were Lauren Mach (2-for-3, two runs batted in (RBI)), and Hadlee Schell (1-for-3, two RBI).
That’s when the excitement began for the Sioux on the day. Late in the tournament’s first day the Sioux played a loser-out game against the DLBLC Lakers. The stakes were high as the loser’s season was over and the winner got to play for a chance to advance for state the next morning.
The Sioux fell behind early as the Lakers scored two unearned runs, one in each of the first two innings. WNB climbed back into the lead with three runs in the bottom of the third.
That’s where the score stayed as neither team was able to hold off the other. For the Sioux that meant a strong performance from junior pitcher Ashlyn Huber.
“Ashlyn has improved tremendously throughout this year and last year,” Fluhrer stated. “She just developed a change up and started to locate balls where she wanted them and it was evident in this game. She was hitting her spots and keeping the Laker batters guessing the entire game.”
Heading into the final frame the Sioux led 3-2. DLBLC’s first batter singled, was advanced to third on the next batter and scored on a passed ball to tie the game.
WNB went down one-two-three in the top of the eighth and gave the Lakers a chance to take the win.
However, the Sioux defense stepped up in a big way. With a runner on third, junior shortstop Amber Hall fielded a grounder and gunned the Laker out at the plate to shut down the rally.
“Amber has developed into a darn good fielder,” Fluhrer stated. “She has a big arm and she came up with the biggest play of the year in the most crucial time.”
That’s when the Sioux really barred down and made the effort to win.
WNB came to bat ready in the top of the ninth to score some runs. It started with an Ashley Ryan walk, followed by Maddy Lodoen single that put runners on first and third. After Lodoen advanced to second freshman Shelby Grenier ripped a big line shot to left field to drive in Ryan and give the Sioux the lead.
Lodoen later scored on an infield single by Ceglowski and later Mach hit a full-count ball that was robbed of a home run.
“The Lakers left fielder made a great catch crashing into the fence to make the catch,” Fluhrer stated. “But, Lauren did her job as Greiner and Ceglowski both tagged and giving Lauren a two-run Sac Fly.”
The Sioux went up 7-3 and just needed to hold in the bottom of the inning.
Huber did that as she allowed only one Lakers run and the Sioux advanced to the final day of the tournament.
Huber struck out a career-best 11 batters in a nine-inning pitching performance.
Lodoen went 3-for-4 with two runs, while Ryan was 2-for-3 with two walks to go along with scoring the winning run.
A chance to advance to state on the line, the Sioux took on the Thompson Tommies.
WNB scored twice in the top of the first to take a lead early on a Becca Christenson double, and then a Christenson run on a passed ball.
However, Thompson’s offense took off strong scoring 10 runs in the first two innings. Heading into the bottom of the fifth the Tommies were on the brink of ending the Sioux season as they were up 15-5.
However, the Sioux came up big in the clutch and scored five runs to not only keep the game from ending, but also get back into the hunt for the win.
Two of the RBI came from Sydney Arntzen, got a pinch-hit single. Another single by Grenier a couple walks and other runners reaching added up to the five-run inning.
Thompson scored another run in the sixth and the Sioux came back to get two more late, but fell 16-12 and their season was ended.
Christenson finished with a 3-for-4 night scored twice, stole four bases and had an RBI. Ceglowksi was 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two walks.
WNB finished their second season with a 5-11 overall record. More importantly, they took a big step as a program and narrowly missed making it to state.