Barnum Girls Suffer 8-Inning Loss To Isle

Click Here For The Section 5A Softball Playoff Brackets

May 27

Wes Vork-NSO

Heartbreaking loss is a term used to describe a tight game that goes down to the wire; sometimes it is a bit overused. Calling the Barnum Bombers 6-5 eighth inning loss Thursday to Isle in the Semi-Finals of the Section 5A softball playoffs is not a stretch in the least.

Barnum got out to a quick start, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning only to see Isle tie it up at 2 apiece in the bottom of the second inning. After scoreless third and fourth innings the Bombers took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth. Unfortunately that lead did not last long when Isle exploded for three runs in the bottom of the inning and led 5-3 after five.

Persistence paid off for the Bombers and they managed to chip away, scoring a run in each of the sixth and seventh innings to tie the game at 5-5 while the defense held Isle scoreless to send the game to extra innings.

Barnum Head Coach Sarah Yrjanson liked what she saw out of her offense and said they adjusted well against a faster pitcher. “Emily Thomsen rocked it with 4 RBIs for us. We had some very good and deep hits…many of them being close or right to an Isle player.” Yrjanson explained. For the game, Barnum had a total of seven hits.

It appeared the Bombers had momentum on their side going into the extra frame but the excitement of tying and extending the game turned to heartbreak when in the bottom of the eighth inning freshman Morgan Voss scored on an RBI single to win the game for the Huskies.

Besides Thompsens 4 RBI’s, Jessica Newman helped out the Bombers cause going 2-4 with a double and scoring 2 runs.

All is not lost for Barnum however, with the final four being a double elimination format, they will be back at it on Tuesday and can work their way into the finals beginning with #7 seed Upsala in the elimination round. Even after the tight loss, Coach Yrjanson likes her team’s chances if they can put some of the errors behind them. “(Pitcher) Lauren Hultgren continues to improve every game and base running went well. I am optimistic about next week at Whitney Park, we can do this.”

Wes Vork can be reached at wes@northlandsportsonline.com