Anna Fossen's RBI single and an error produced the winning runs in the eighth inning as the Park Rapids fastpitch softball team edged Crosby-Ironton 6-5 in the first game of a Mid-State Conference doubleheader Thursday at Crosby.
The Panthers gained a sweep when C-I forfeited the second game.
The Panthers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a double by Heather Tretbar, an RBI single by Amy Luther and a run-scoring grounder by Amber Rowland.
Tretbar singled and scored on Carly Helfrich's grounder in the third for a 3-1 lead before C-I scored three times in the fourth to take a 4-3 lead.
Park Rapids forced extra innings by scoring the tying run in the seventh. Helfrich singled, stole second and scored on Rowland's RBI single to tie the game at 4-4.
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In the eighth, Cady Clinton walked and Leah Moorhouse singled to start the inning. Fossen's RBI single and an error gave the Panthers a 6-4 lead.
The Rangers scored an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth before Clinton retired the final two batters to preserve the win.
Tretbar went 2 for 5, Luther went 2 for 4 and Moorhouse went 3 for 4 to lead the Panthers' 12-hit attack. Clinton picked up the win in relief, allowing one unearned run on two hits over four innings.
"Although we didn't play up to our potential, we showed character in pulling this game out," said Park Rapids head coach Marion Goeden, whose team improved to 4-2 in the conference and 9-3 overall.
Park Rapids 201 000 12....6 12 5
C-I 100 300 01....5 7 4
PARK RAPIDS AB R H RBI
Tretbar 5 2 2 0
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Helfrich 5 1 1 1
Luther 4 1 2 1
Rowland 4 0 1 2
Dent 4 0 1 0
Roepke 0 0 0 0
Clinton 3 1 0 0
Moorhouse 4 1 3 0
Schweigart 4 0 1 0
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Fossen 4 0 1 1
Totals 37 6 12 5
Luther (4IP, 4R, 2ER, 5H, 5K, 4BB), Clinton (4IP, 1R, 0ER, 2H, 1K, 1BB) and Dent; Larson and Fogle. W-Clinton, 1-1. L-Larson. 2B: Tretbar 1. SB: Roepke 1, Clinton 1, Moorhouse 1.
