College Softball: Raiders fall short of nationals

BRAINERD — A run in the bottom of the sixth inning was the difference between a trip to nationals and the Central Lakes College Raiders’ season ending.

No. 2 seeded Itasca held CLC to six hits and one run to win the Region 13B Tournament Sunday, May 14.

CLC’s Marissa Callahan suffered the loss. She allowed two runs, one earned, on seven hits and one walk. She struck out five over six innings.

Halle Zupan drove in Emma Tautges for the Raiders' lone run. Zupan finished 2-3 with a double.

Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch

In Sunday’s first game, Marissa Callahan finished 1-3 with two RBIs and a run scored and Halle Zupan, Gabrielle Dulas and Hailey Wright all drove in a run and scored.

Jill Thomspon pitched the victory, her second of the tournament. She struck out four in five innings and allowed four runs, one earned, on six hits and no walks. Tautges pitched two innings of scoreless relief for the save.

The Raiders opened the tournament with a 13-2 victory over No. 4-seeded Rainy River Saturday, May 13. Dulas drove in four runs and Hannah Christle went 4-4 with a double, triple, two runs and an RBI. Tautges went 2-4 with a run and an RBI. Zupan finished 2-3 with two runs and Callahan was 1-3 with a walk and two runs scored.

Thompson pitched the victory. She struck out six over four innings. She allowed one run on three hits and three walks.

The Raiders concluded their Saturday with a 6-4 loss to No. 2 seeded Itasca.

Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch

Tautges finished 2-3 with a run and an RBI and Zupan was 2-4 with a run and an RBI. Isabelle Krawiecki was 2-3 with a run driven in and Morgan Majerus also drove in a run.

Tautges suffered the loss. She allowed six runs, four earned, on 12 hits and no walk. She struck out four. Callahan pitched two innings of shutout relief.