Cloquet Girls Softball Season Comes To An End

Wes Vork-NSO

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May 26

Dwight Cadwell-NSO

COHASSET – The Cloquet Lumberjack girls softball season ended on Tuesday as the Lumberjacks fell in the Section 7AA double elimination tournament. The Lumberjacks lost to the Virginia Bluedevils 1-0 and then fell to the Esko Eskomos by a score of 14-6.

The number one seeded Lumberjacks opened the day by taking on the Bluedevils who were entering this game as the number two seed from the northern sub-section. Virginia had been on a role, losing just two games all season–one
of
them
to the Section 7AA defending champions Hermantown Hawks. Virginia was 14-1 in their last 15 games. In those 15 games, the Bluedevils had only given up one run. That one run was to Cretin-Derham Hall, a game they lost 1-0. Kristen Predovich, Virginia’s pitcher, entered this game with a 19-2 record including 16 shutouts.

The Lumberjacks played a great game against Virginia but Predovich was too dominant from the mound, only allowing
two Cloquet hits and four base runners all day. Liz Jezierski and Dalyce Gustafson each had a hit in the loss. Katrina Korman pitched the entire game for Cloquet. She pitched an outstanding game, giving up one run in the loss. Courtney Esse and Alyssa Hansen made several great defensive plays in the game for Cloquet as well.

The Lumberjacks faced the Esko Eskomos in the second game Tuesday at Portage Park. It was win or go home
for both teams as they
entered the game with a loss in their opening round match-up. Cloquet would jump on Esko in the first inning, building a 3-0 lead.
However, Esko would come back in this one and win 14-6, moving on in the double elimination tournament. Cloquet fell behind 7-4 after four innings and could never get any closer, finally falling by eight runs.

Dalyce Gustafson led the Lumberjack effort as she was 2-3 with three runs scored. Korman, Esse, Hansen, and Mariah Smith all had hits in the Cloquet loss. Korman and Esse each had two runs batted in as well. Korman was the losing pitcher for Cloquet, but she only gave up one earned run.
Defensively, Cloquet had seven errors on the afternoon.

The Lumberjacks season ends with a 12-8 overall record. Cloquet exceeded many expectations, garnering more wins than most experts would have predicted. Cloquet will lose two seniors Katrina Korman and Alyssa Hansen. Northland Sports Online would like to wish both all the best in their future endeavors.

Dwight Cadwell can be reached at dwight@northlandsportsonline.com