The Rainy River Community College softball team finished its Minnesota College Athletic Conference schedule at home Thursday by sweeping a doubleheader against Mesabi Range.
In the first game, which had previously been suspended due to the weather with the Voyageurs in the lead, RRCC shut out the Lady Norse, 11-0, in five innings.
“(Cateline Fafard) pitched well,” said RRCC head coach Dieter Humbert. “Our defense played well behind her. We kind of inherited an 11-0 lead there, so we finished up strong defensively, certainly strong pitching.”
Fafard scattered 2 hits while striking out six to record the shutout victory.
At the plate for the Voyageurs, Chelsea Poulton went 2-3 with 4 RBI. Jenna Brady added a pair of hits with 3 RBI.
RRCC 9, Mesabi Range 5
In the game started from scratch Thursday, the Voyageurs took an early 4-run lead and held on to defeat the Lady Norse, 9-5.
Colby Readhead recorded the pitching victory working the first three innings, allowing 3 runs, two earned, on 6 hits while striking out two.
“The Mesabi batters are pretty scrappy,” Redhead said. “They get in there — they’re two-strike hitters — they don’t strike out a lot, so that’s tough for pitchers sometimes, but our defense played well behind us.”
Kristen Cruickshank pitched the final four innings in relief to record the save. She allowed 2 earned runs on 5 hits while striking out four.
Kendra Charrois led the Voyageurs at the plate with 4 hits and 3 RBI. Poulton, who had a double as one of her 3 hits and added 3 RBI, also resorted to “small ball” hitting to drive in a run.
“I don’t bunt very often, so I was actually pretty proud of myself...,” Poulton said. “Bunting’s a new thing, and I kind of like it.”
Following today’s Jennie Guyer Memorial Tournament in Grand Rapids, the Voyageurs, who finished with a conference record of 16-4 for second place in the MCAC Northern Division, return to Grand Rapids next Thursday to begin the Region Tournament.
