Medford’s Furious Rally Comes Up Just Short Vs Blooming Prairie

Medford's softball team had just two base runners through the first six innings of their home opener Monday against Blooming Prairie, and trailed 8-0 entering the bottom of the seventh. The Tigers strung together a furious rally that came up just one run short and stranded the tying run on base in an 8-7 loss to BP.

Blooming Prairie junior Riauna Bishop tossed the complete seven innings, allowing just one earned run on six hits with no walks. She struck out four Tigers. Medford's final inning rally consisted of four hits and a couple of bunts misplayed by the Blossoms. Izzy Reuvers had two of Medford's seventh inning hits. Lily Roehrick capped her three-hit day with an RBI-double in the seventh.

Blooming Prairie pieced together a pair of early-inning rallies. Allison Krohnberg earned a one-out walk in the second inning. She scored on a pitch that got by the catcher. In the third inning, BP's Maya Lembke hit a two-out single, the first of her three hits. Her courtesy runner Melanie Winzenburg scored on Julia Worke's single for a 2-0 lead.

In the sixth inning, Blooming Prairie added two runs on a pop fly that was dropped to increase their lead to 4-0. The strong wind blew the ball around quite a bit with several players changing their routes to balls hit into the air.

Blooming Prairie added just enough insurance in the top of the seventh with four runs that included a two-run double by Lembke. BP (2-0) goes to Maple River Tuesday, April 9 for a makeup game.

Ruevers fanned eight batters while pitching for Medford. The Tigers have lost their first three games by a combined four runs. Medford is scheduled to host Hayfield Thursday, April 11 but the weather forecast doesn't make that too likely.

In baseball in Blooming Prairie, Medford scored a 9-2 victory. Willie VonRuden went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Jordan Edel had two hits and two RBI. AJ Vandereide threw six innings, striking out ten and allowing five hits for the win.