BROOKINGS The Brookings softball team completed the regular season with an 11-7 record as the Bobcats dropped their final regular season game to Sioux Falls Lincoln on Friday at the Southbrook Softball Complex.
Brookings trailed 9-7 through five innings, but the Patriots then scored four runs in the final two innings to pull away and earn a 13-7 victory.
Brookings will be the No. 7 seed in the SoDak 16 on Tuesday. The Bobcats will host No. 10 seeded OGorman at Southbrook and first pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. The winner of that game will punch their ticket to the Class AA State Tournament, which will be in Sioux Falls on June 5-7.
The Patriots scored a run in each of the first two innings. Adeline Roths and Avery Dorman led off the game with back-to-back singles. Roths then came home as Kierra Lubovich hit a third-straight single to make it 1-0.
Ruby Hennies started the second inning with a single. She advanced to second on a wild pitch and then made her way to third on a ground out. Roths then came through with an RBI single to make it 2-0 heading into the third.
Brookings cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third. Keisha Cushing drew a walk with one out and then stole second. She then advanced to third on a ground out and scored on a Kalla Foerster single to make it 2-1.
Lincoln scored four runs in the top of the fourth. Hayden Kok walked and scored on an error. Roths singled and then scored on a Lubovich single to make it 4-1. The Patriots scored another run on a ground out and then an RBI single from Paige Stensaas pushed the lead to 6-1.
The Patriots added three more runs in the top of the fifth. Roths came to the plate with two runners on and one out and hit the ball over the left field fence to extend the lead to 9-1.
The Bobcats answered with five runs in the bottom of the fifth. Kendal Linstad walked to begin the inning and Cushing followed and reached on an error. Linstad then scored on a Kinzey Grendler single and Cushing scored on a Foerster single to make it 9-3. Morgan Norgaar then came to the plate and she hit one over the right field fence to cut the lead to 9-7. Kymber Buys then hit a double and later scored on a fielders choice, making it 9-7 heading into the sixth.
The Patriots got two runs back in the top of the sixth. Stensaas singled to lead off the inning and then Sara Mathison reached on an error. Both runners then scored on a Ruby Hennies single. Paxton Dekkers hit a two-run home run in the seventh to make the final 13-7.
Brookings had six hits in the loss. Norgaard was 1-for-3 with three RBIs and Foerster had 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Grendler was 1-for-3 with an RBI and Buys was 1-for-3. Grace Romsa was 1-for-4. Layla Erickson had an RBI without a hit.
Tess Burns got the start in the circle for the Cats. She pitched four innings and gave up six runs, three earned, on nine hits with four strikeouts and one walk. Ella Pysk pitched the final three innings and gave up seven runs, three earned, on four hits with two strikeouts and no walks.
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