History repeated itself Friday when the season ended for Littlefork-Big Falls’ softball team in the second game of the Section 7A Tournament.

The Vikings, seeded No. 1 in the North Sub-Section, lost to the South Sub-Section’s No. 4 seed, Carlton, 5-0, at Cloquet.

Friday’s game marked the second consecutive year L-BF lost to Carlton in the second round of the playoffs.

Vikings head coach Mike Imhof said L-BF stayed close with Carlton early in the game and had the bases loaded in the fourth inning with one out, but couldn’t score.

“We just couldn’t hit,” he said.

Carlton pitcher Grace Macor had 15 strikeouts as she scattered 4 hits to record the shutout.

The Vikings were down by only a run through five innings before a 3-run homer by Carlton catcher Hannah Benson broke open the game.

Courtney Pfeifer pitched the entire game for L-BF as she allowed 9 hits while striking out a batter.

The Vikings finished the season at 17-2.

“We had a real good year, and it’s a bright future,” Imhof said.

While the Vikings are losing three seniors — infielder/outfielder Paige DeLack, catcher Cassy Hawkinson and outfielder Serie Little — to graduation, Imhof said most of the team will be able to return next season, including both pitchers, Pfeifer and Kristy Horne Dunn.

Virginia 10,

I. Falls 0

After having the game rescheduled three times because of rainy weather, International Falls finally opened the Section 7AA Tournament on Friday against Virginia.

“That’s got to be some type of record (for rescheduling a tournament game),” said Falls head coach Kevin Gordon.

The Broncos gave up 4 runs in the opening inning and four more in the second before losing to the Blue Devils, 10-0, in six innings in a game held at Cohasset.

Gordon said fielding woes hurt the Falls early in the game.

“I thought we didn’t play tight defense in the first two innings,” he said.

Morgan Bruess pitched the entire game for the Broncos and gave up 13 hits, including a home run by Virginia’s Vicki Fossland and the game-winning hit by Caari Toivari, who ended up with 4 hits.

The Blue Devils split pitching duties, starting Elizabeth Anderson and closing the final three innings with Alexis McCarty Maki.

Falls junior Olivia Santee accounted for two of the team’s 5 hits.

The Broncos, who ended the season at 9-10, will lose three seniors to graduation — Bruess, catcher Sam Hams and outfielder Jessica Ringhofer.

“We wanted to move farther in the playoffs,” Gordon said.

He said it will be interesting to see how the team develops in 2013 when the Falls will return Santee, whom he describes as “one of the best hitters in northern Minnesota,” and several underclassmen who saw varsity action this past season.