The Brainerd Warriors softball team set up a showdown for the Central Lakes Conference championship and No. 1 seed in the North Subsection 8-3A tournament by defeating Sauk Rapids 11-1 in six innings Thursday at Adamson Field.
Brainerd raised its conference record to 11-2 and its overall mark to 16-2 as it heads to Alexandria on Friday to play the Cardinals. The teams played to a 10-10 tie in a game suspended by darkness May 6. The game will resume in the top of the eighth inning with nobody out and Alexandria at bat. Brainerd is the home team since it was the second game of a doubleheader.
Alexandria has one conference loss, Brainerd two. Both teams have two losses overall. The subsection begins Tuesday at the high seeds.
"We've had a great season," Warriors coach Mike Zauhar said. "We're looking forward to an opportunity to play for the conference championship and the No. 1 seed. The kids have been very good throughout the year and we're happy with what they've done."
Kayla Huether was 2-for-3 with a triple, single and two RBIs and scored three runs for Brainerd. Karlye Barron was 2-3, Hallsey Olson was 2-4 and scored three runs and Steph Neugebauer was 1-3, extending her season hitting streak to 18 games.
Winning pitcher Karlie Manton struck out two, walked one and allowed two hits.
Sauk Rapids 1 2 2
Brainerd 11 6 2
Six innings
WP: Karlie Manton. LP: Sam Dingmann. Conference: Brd 11-2. Overall: Brd 16-2. Next: Brainerd at Alexandria 5 p.m. Friday.
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