Bayside Puck Chatter: June 12

Talk about it

After watching the final four teams in the section 7A softball playoffs and a lot of Polar League action this season I was pretty sure that neither section 7A or the Polar League would be a factor at the state tournament as far winning the Championship.

They simply didn’t have or didn’t face the quality of pitching such as that of Danielle Schmidt of New Life Academy who stood in the way of a state title for them along with everyone else. Still the Mariners ended up only one run away from a third place finish and put up nine runs against a pretty good pitcher in Ellen Becker of Chatfield.

The score against New Life after four innings of play read only 1-0. Schmidt finished the tournament with a record of 55 strikeouts including 32 against Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial in an 11 inning quarterfinal contest. Last season when New Life won their first title she allowed only one hit in three games.

Class A pitchers like this don’t come around very often up north, so it makes it tough when you see them once a year and it is at the state tournament.

It was really nice to see a large turnout of the Mariner faithful in Mankato. I’d like to thank the Mariner girls and coaches for another fine season of softball.

The girls put on a great show at Cloquet and Mankato especially as many had written them off before the season started especially as far as reaching state tournament went.

It’s also time to especially thank Elizabeth “Biz” Huss, Katherine Michalski, Kyla Thorne and Alexi Warnecke, the seniors who have played their last game for the blue and white.

This also goes for Mike Cameron, Dustin LaVigne, Jake Topp, Tanner Viola and Tyler McMillen, the seniors on the baseball team.

Elk River ended up defeating North St.Paul 1-0 for the AAA softball title, Hermantown won 7-0 over Minnehaha Academy in AA and New Life beat Maple Lake 7-0 in class A.

In track and field Buffalo won the AA boys title and Mounds View won the AA title for the girls.

In class A it was St. Croix Lutheran for the boys and Bagley/Fosston for the girls.

Edina and Breck won the boy’s team titles in tennis. In golf you had Wayzata, Orono and Rushford-Peterson for the boys and Lakeville North, Minnewaska and Mounds Park Academy for the girls.

All that remains for the 08-09 high school athletic season in Minnesota is the baseball state tournament.

Congratulations to Kirstin Sandstrom for making the Class A All Tournament Team at the state tournament.

She gave up two earned runs in 14 innings of pitching.

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