Aitkin sweeps pair from Panthers

By Vance Carlson

April 22, 2021 07:52 AM

Aitkin took advantage of 17 errors to sweep a Mid-State Conference doubleheader against the Park Rapids fastpitch softball team at Aitkin on Tuesday, April 20.

The Panthers committed eight errors in an 11-6 loss in the first game and had nine errors in a 7-6 loss in the second game.

Doubles by Abby Morris and Chloe Tretbar led to two runs in the fourth inning while Mickey Clark’s RBI single and Morris’ RBI double with two outs in the seventh produced the Panthers’ final three runs.

Morris went 2 for 4 to lead Park Rapids’ six-hit attack. Tretbar took the loss.

Park Rapids’ rally in the seventh inning in the nightcap fell short as the Gobblers completed the sweep. Kasen Girtz’s RBI single sparked a two-run second while Morris’ RBI single produced a run in the fourth. Doubles by Tretbar and Offerdahl and an RBI single by Ellie Ulvin sparked a three-run rally by the Panthers in the seventh.

Tretbar went 3 for 4, Girtz went 2 for 4 and Natalie Harvey went 2 for 3 as the Panthers pounded out 12 hits, but left 11 runners on base. Offerdahl took the loss.

Aitkin improved to 3-0 on the season while the Panthers fell to 0-3.

(Game 1)

Park Rapids 000 201 3...6 6 8

Aitkin 104 132 x...11 7 3

W-Ratz. L-Tretbar.

Park Rapids batting: Clark (1-3, 1R, 1RBI), Morris (2-4, 2R, 1RBI), Tretbar (1-4, 1R, 1RBI), Pachel (0-3, 1RBI), Ulvin (1-3, 1R, 1RBI), Offerdahl (0-3), Weaver (1-3, 1R), Girtz (0-3), Bera (0-3). 2B: Morris 2, Tretbar 1. SB: Clark 2, Ulvin 1, Weaver 1.

Park Rapids pitching: Tretbar (5IP, 4H, 9R, 3ER, 4BB, 2K), Offerdahl (1IP, 3H, 2R, 1ER, 0BB, 1K).

(Game 2)

Aitkin 101 220 1...7 12 3

Park Rapids 020 100 3...6 12 9

W-Bucholz. L-Offerdahl.

Park Rapids batting: Clark (1-3, 1RBI), Morris (1-5, 1RBI), Tretbar (3-4, 1R), Pachel (0-3), Ulvin (1-4, 1R, 1RBI), Offerdahl (1-2, 1R, 1RBI), Berndt (0-1, 1R), Weaver (1-3), Girtz (2-4, 1R, 1RBI), Harvey (2-3, 1R). 2B: Tretbar 2, Weaver 1, Offerdahl 1. SB: Clark 1, Berndt 1, Weaver 1, Girtz 1, Harvey 1.

Park Rapids pitching: Offerdahl (7IP, 12H, 7R, 3ER, 0BB, 1K).