Carlton Girls Work Back Into Section Finals

Chris Shevich-NSO

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May 31

Kerry Rodd-NSO

CLOQUET – After a tough start to the day the Carlton Bulldogs rebounded to win two games in a row and make it into the Section 7A finals against Cherry on Thursday.

The Bulldogs opened the tournament, held at Braun Park in Cloquet, with a 3-2 loss to Mesabi East. The loss was a tough one because the game was not decided until the bottom of the seventh inning when the Giants scored on a throwing error to win the game. Megan Bodin pitched a solid game going all seven innings for the Bulldogs while giving up six hits, three runs, four strike outs and walking none.

In the other opening game the Cherry/Cotton Tigers slipped by Floodwood 2-0 putting the two winning teams, Cherry/Cotton and Mesabi East into the winners bracket and Carlton and Floodwood into the losers bracket in the double-elimination tourney. Cherry/Cotton went on to pound Mesabi East, while the Bulldogs routed Floodwood 7-2.

Bodin again was stellar in the win over Floodwood by giving up just four hits and walking two. Meanwhile Molly Johnsen of Floodwood gave up seven hits and walked four while fanning 11.

Carlton broke open the game with three runs in the middle innings and then held on for the win. Bodin aided her own cause with run scoring doubles in the second and fifth innings. Alanna Groth had two hits and two RBIs, Christine Eggert added two hits and Bodin had four RBIs to go along with the two doubles.

In the night cap, the Bulldogs had to face the Mesabi East Giants for the second time on the day and this time Carlton scored a pair of runs in the first inning off of Giants pitcher Mariah Essig which set the tone early and gave the young Bulldogs confidence. Amanda Eggert’s RBI single in the fifth inning added two additional insurance runs and they ended up taking away the 4-0 victory.

Bodin continued a torrid pitching streak with another victory this time allowing just six hits, no walks and she fanned eight Giants in the process.

Offensively the Bulldogs rapped out eight hits with Brooke Camps picking up three hits and Amanda Eggert going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs.

The two wins and one loss on the season improved the Bulldogs record to 16-2, the best record in school history. It also puts the Bulldogs in the finals for the first time in school history; but they have their work cut out for them as they now need to beat the defending section champs Tigers twice on Thursday in order to pick up their first sectional championship in school history.

Kerry Rodd can be reached at kerry@northlandsportsonline.com