By Chad Koenen

Publisher

The Otter Tail Central softball team has opened its season with a record of 2-3 overall, after sweeping Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale in a pair of games on April 10.

Following the opening season sweep of the Raiders, the Bulldogs dropped a pair to New York Mills and fell to Sebeka on Thursday night to fall to 2-3 overall and in the Park Region Conference.

This week the Bulldogs will travel to Pillager in a doubleheader on Tuesday, before traveling to Parkers Prairie on Thursday and hosting Pelican Rapids on Friday in Battle Lake. 

April 10

Trailing 6-3 in the top of the sixth inning, OTC erupted for 11 runs in the sixth inning and five more in the seventh inning to come away with a 19-6 win over Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale on April 10. After scoring three runs with one out, the Bulldogs went on a big two out rally as 10 straight hitters reached base to plate eight runs and give the Bulldogs a 14-6 lead. They would go on to score five more runs in the top of the seventh inning to come away with the 19-6 win. Both teams fared well offensively as they combined for 28 hits, including 20 by the Bulldogs. 

Sophie Akerman and Sia Olson led the way offensively with four hits apiece, while Kailie Robinson went 3-6 with three runs and four RBI’s.

Akerman picked up the win on the mound as she went all seven innings, giving up five earned runs, eight hits, six walks and striking out five hitters.

In the second game of the night, OTC overcame an early 13-7 deficit thanks to a big seven run bottom of the fifth inning, with all-but one of the runs coming with two outs. Sia Olson knocked in a pair of runs on a two-run double, while Esme Larsen hit a two-run single of her own to highlight the big inning. 

The Bulldogs added a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to come away with the 16-13 win. 

Olson once again led the way offensively with three hits and a pair of RBI’s, while Kenady Cameron picked up two hits and two RBI’s. 

Akerman picked up the win on the mound in relief of Cameron who started the game and gave up 12 runs, five of which were earned, while giving up six hits and nine walks over 2 2/3 innings. Akerman pitched 4 1/3 innings and gave up two hits and one unearned run, while striking out four hitters.

AB R H     BI

Sophie Akerman 4 3 1 2

Sia Olson 3 3 3 2

Kailie Robinson 2 2 1 2

Kenady Cameron 5 1 2 2

Esme Larsen 3 1 1 2

Lauren Hexum 4 1 1 0

Zoie Hochstein 3 1 1 1

Aubrey Hexum 4 2 1 0

Breanna Bunkowski 1 1 1 0

Hannah Hexum 3 1 1 1

HITTING- 2B- Sia Olson 2

PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-k)- Kenady Cameron 2.2-6-12-5-9-2, Sophie Akerman 4.1-2-1-0-1-4

AB R H     BI

Sophie Akerman 5 3 4 1

Sia Olson 5 4 4 3

Kailie Robinson 6 3 3 4

Kenady Cameron 3 2 1 2

Esme Larsen 5 0 1 2

Lauren Hexum 4 1 2 0

Hannah Hexum 5 1 1 2

Zoie Hochstein 4 3 2 0

Breanna Bunkowski 5 2 2 1

HITTING- 2B- Zoie Hochstein

PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-k)- Sophie Akerman 7.0-8-6-5-6-5

April 15

OTC came out on the short end of a pair of losses to New York Mills on Tuesday night by scores of 17-2 and 29-12.

In the opening game of the night, NY Mills scored three runs in the first inning, six runs in the second inning and eight runs in the third inning to come away with the 17-2 win. 

OTC scored a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning on an error and another when a runner was caught stealing second. 

OTC picked up four hits in the game with Kailie Robinson, Esme Larsen, Lauren Hexum and Hannah Hexum each picking up one hit.

Kenady Cameron took the loss on the mound as she went all three innings, giving up 10 hits, 17 earned runs, eight walks and four strike outs.

After giving up three runs in the top of the first inning, OTC tied the game up at 3-3 in the bottom half of the inning on a Cameron RBI single, a passed ball and bases loaded walk that made the score 3-3.

After NY Mills took a 22-4 lead in the top of the fourth inning, the Bulldogs fought back to score eight runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to make the score 22-12.  The Bulldogs picked up eight singles and a pair of walks in the inning, which included a pair of two-run singles by Sia Olson and Esme Larsen. 

NY Mills struck for seven more runs in the top of the fifth inning to put the game out of reach and end it by the 10-run rule by a score of 29-12. 

Olson led the way offensively with three hits, while Kailie Robinson and Cameron each finished with two hits. 

Hannah Hexum took the loss on the mound as she went four innings and gave up 15 hits, 22 earned runs, 14 walks and struck out one hitter. 

AB R H     BI

Kailie Robinson 2 3 2 0

Maggie Hoekstra 3 1 1 1

Sia Olson 4 2 3 2

Kenady Cameron 3 2 2 1

Esme Larsen 2 1 1 0

Lauren Hexum 2 1 1 1

Abbi Goddin 1 0 1 0

Hannah Hexum 2 0 0 1

Isebelle Godding 1 0 0 0

Hallie Weller 1 1 0 0

Aubrey Hexum 3 1 1 1

HITTING- 2B- Kailie Robinson

PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-k)- Hannah Hexum 4.0-15-22-22-14-1, Maggie Hoekstra 0.1-7-7-7-1-0, Kenady Cameron 0.2-1-0-0-0-1

AB R H     BI

Kailie Robinson 1 0 1 0

Maggie Hoekstra 2 0 0 0

Sia Olson 1 0 0 0 

Kenady Cameron 2 0 0 0

Esme Larsen 2 1 1 0

Lauren Hexum 2 1 1 0

Hannah Hexum 2 0 1 0

Isebelle Godding 2 0 0 0 

Aubrey Hexum 1 0 0 0

HITTING- 2B- Kailie Robinson

PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-k)- Kenady Cameron 3.0-10-17-17-8-4

Thursday

OTC fell to 2-3 in the Park Region Conference with a 17-11 loss to Sebeka on Thursday night. 

OTC took a brief 11-10 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning thanks to a big eight run inning that was highlighted by a bases loaded walk by Abi Godding, a two-run single by Aubrey Hexum, a Kailie Robinson RBI single, two-run single by Esme Larsen and an RBI single by Lauren Hexum to give OTC a 11-10 lead. 

Unfortunately, Sebeka scored two runs in the sixth inning and another five runs in the seventh inning to come away with the 17-11 win. 

Kailie Robinson, Lauren Hexum and Aubrey Hexum led the way offensively for the Bulldogs with two hits apiece.

Sophie Akerman took the loss on the mound as she went seven innings, giving up 14 hits, 15 earned runs, 10 walks and struck out five hitters. 

AB R H     BI

Kailie Robinson 5 2 2 1

Sia Olson 4 0 1 1

Sophie Akerman 3 1 1 0

Esme Larsen 5 1 1 2

Lauren Hexum 4 1 2 1

Hannah Hexum 2 1 0 0

Maggie Hoekstra 2 2 0 0

Abbi Godding 1 1 0 1

Isebelle Godding 1 0 0 0

Aubrey Hexum 4 2 2 2

HITTING- 2B- Sia Olson

PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-k)- Sophie Akerman 7.0-14-17-15-10-5