Lightning cut short a local softball matchup Thursday as Spirit Lake beat Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire, 11-6, in five innings. The Indians had actually built a 14-7 advantage before Mother Nature intervened in the sixth inning. For the Knights, Marly Bakken finished with two runs scored and two batted in on a pair of hits. Alyssa Hoffman took the loss as she surrendered just six earned runs. She did allow eleven hits and walked eleven batters. GTRA falls to 8-14 with the loss and returns to the diamond Monday for a Cornbelt Conference doubleheader with Clay Central-Everly. Spirit Lake, at 12-12, is also off until Monday, when they return to Lakes Conference play against Emmetsburg, a game that can be heard on KUOO.
Okoboji took the field in Milford Thursday for a non-conference outing against Manson NW Webster and picked up an 8-3 victory. Savannah Heithus earned the win, holding the Cougars to three runs, two earned, on four hits with three strikeouts. The offense was paced by Olivia Rohlk, who had two hits and scored three runs. Anna Seeger collected a pair of hits, scored twice and drove in one, and Mikkinzie Peschong notched two RBI on two hits. Okoboji has an 8-10 record overall and plays at eighth-ranked Estherville-Lincoln Central on Friday.
The Midgets will be coming off a rain-shortened 10-0 non-conference win over Algona Bishop Garrigan. Emily Kirchner went 3-for-3 with three RBI, while Kristen King scored twice with two hits. Ashton Reisner pitched to the win, throwing a four-inning, two-hitter before being relieved. ELC improves to 14-4.
Other scores from Thursday’s games include Sibley-Ocheyedan falling by an 11-1 final against Sioux Center in a Siouxland Conference game. The Generals are now 2-7 in the league. Central Lyon/ George-Little Rock pounded out a 10-0 decision over Clay Central-Everly in a non-conference contest. MOC-Floyd Valley beat up on Cherokee, 11-1, and in the Lakes Conference, Western Christian shutout Storm Lake, 10-0.
On the baseball field, rain interfered with the completion of a non-conference showdown between Okoboji and North Union in Bancroft. The game was in the 4th inning when heavy rains began to fall. The game will not be completed. The Pioneers travel to George-Little Rock for a Siouxland Conference contest Friday.
Sibley-Ocheyedan earned a Siouxland Conference win, blanking Sioux Center, 5-0. Tyler Reck had a pair of doubles and scored two runs to spark the offense, while Tyler O’Connor struck out six and allowed just two hits en route to the win on the hill. The Generals own a 3-6 mark in league play.
In the Lakes Conference, Storm Lake narrowly got by Western Christian, 4-2.
