The Randolph Rockets baseball team captured the Section 4A Championship with a 3-1 win today over Mayer Lutheran at Murray Field.  The Rockets fastpitch softball team punched their ticket to the MSHSL Softball Tournament next week after defeating Faribault Bethlehem Academy 11-2.

in the baseball game Randolph scored all of their runs in the 4th inning while pitcher Brandon Gerster went the distance  scattering 5 hits over 7 innings, striking out 11 and walking no batters.  Gerster threw 103 pitches, 78 for strikes while facing just 7 batters over the minimum.

The Rockets had 3 hits in the game and made the most of their base runners.  With the bases loaded following a walk by Gerster, single by Jacob Weckop and single by Nathan Weckop, Mason Lorenzen was hit by a pitch to tie the game in the bottom of the 4th inning.

Head Coach Chris Stanton had courtesy runners for his pitcher and catcher.  Wyatt Banaszewski took Gerster's place on the bases and Tyson Cooreman ran for Nathan Weckop.

Drew Jenkins clubbed a single to score the other two runs.  Lorenzen was thrown out trying to get to third base.  The inning ended with two fly outs.

The Crusaders of Mayer Lutheran had taken a 1-0 lead in the 3rd inning.  They had two errors in the game while the Rockets played error-free ball.

In the fastpitch game Randolph scored in 5 of the six innings and according to their scorebook took advantage of 5 Bethlehem Academy errors.  The Rockets had 6 hits, Cardinals 4.

Senior Morgyn Otte struck out 10 and walked no batters while throwing 77 pitches, 57 strikes.  Otte struck out all but two of the BA hitters in the lineup.

Eighth graders Anna Tobin and Morgan Wilson each had hits along with sophmore LIndsay Hanson for the Cardinals.  Wilson clubbed a double.

Just 4 of the 11 Rockets runs were earned off eighth grade pitcher Wilson.  She struck out 4 and walked 3 while throwing 108 pitches, 73 strikes.

Randolph scored a pair of runs in the second inning to take a lead they would never relinquish.  The bottom of the second started with Meredith Taylor hitting a ball that resulted in an error,  During the next at bat she stole second base. Carter Raymond hit a the ball to right field scoring Taylor.

There was another Bethlehem Academy error on a Carly Kimmes hit .  Raymond scored on a sacrifice fly by Emma Davisto make it 2-0.

There was a walk before a ground out ended the inning.

The Cardinals cut the lead to 2-1 by scoring in the top of the third inning.  Hanson had a single to start the inning followed by a Randolph error off the bat of Josie Rose.  The two advanced to second and third after a ground ball to Otte. Anna Tobin reached first on a dropped third strike which allowed Hanson to score.

In the bottom of the third Erickson walked to start the inning for the Rockets. Otte hit into a fielder's choice resulting in Erickson being out at second base.  Hannah Werner came in to be the courtesy runner for Otte.

Meredith Taylor singled to right field.  Raymond was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Werner scored on a passed ball.  Taylor scored on a wild pitch.  Raymond scored on a ground out and Randolph had a 5-2 lead.

The Cardinals would score their second run in the top of the 4th inning.  Following a strikeout Wilson clubbed a double.  Courtesy runner Christine Sauer  advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Reagan Kangas ground out.

Davis doubled to start the bottom of the 4th inning.  Lindsay Sundby went in to run and was advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Imogen Otte.  Kimmes hit a ground ball resulting in an error allowing Sundby to score.  Erickson hit a solid single to left field following by a two run scoring hit by Taylor to make the score 8-2 Randolph.

Kimmes opened the bottom of the 5th with a double to left and would advance to third base on a ground out by Patricia Ford.  Davis hit a ground ball that scored Kimmes to make it 9-2.

Tobin singled to start the top of the 6th for the Cardinals.  Following the second out Wilson singled but no runs would score.

A Bethlehem Academy error would open the bottom of the 6th allowing Erickson to gain second base.  Morgyn Otte singled .  Raymond had a bunt single following a ground out.  Cheyann Freundschuh reached on a error.  Two runs would score on the play.

Otte struck out the last two batters to seal the Section 4A Championship with a 24-0 record entering next week's MSHSL State Softball Tournament.

There were no tournaments last year.  The spring season was completely taken by the COVID pandemic.

The coaches in the baseball and softball tournaments will seed Saturday.  Class A and Class AA  baseball will  be played in St. Cloud.  All classes in fastpitch softball play at Caswell Park in North Mankato.

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