By Chad Koenen

Publisher

The Otter Tail Central Bulldogs split a doubleheader with New York Mills, but fell to 4-9 on the season with a pair of losses to Brandon-Evansville on Friday night.

This week the Bulldogs will wrap up their regular season with a doubleheader against Wadena-Deer Creek on Monday, a home game against Ashby on Tuesday, a doubleheader against Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale on Thursday and a doubleheader against Rothsay on Friday.

The Section 8AA tournament is scheduled to begin next week.

Thursday

Trailing 5-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, OTC scored six runs to pull off a thrilling 6-5 upset win over New York Mills on Thursday afternoon. All of the runs for the Bulldogs came after the opening hitter of the inning grounded out to the short stop. Sia Olson and Emma Dirkman hit back-to-back singles and would both later score on passed balls to make the score 5-2. Hannah Hexum and Aubrey Hexum both hit singles and Jadia Koehn walked to help load the bases with one out and the Bulldogs trailing 5-2. 

Brenna Bunkowski hit an RBI single to make the game 5-3 and left the bases loaded for Kailie Robinson who connected with a bases clearing walk-off double to give the Bulldogs a 6-5 win over the Eagles. 

Olson and Hannah Hexum each collected a pair of hits for the Bulldogs, while Robinson led the way with three RBIs in the win.

Sophie Akerman picked up the win in the circle as she went seven innings and gave up four hits, five runs of which two were earned, walked six batters and struck out four. 

In the second game of the night, OTC got on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning when Kenady Cameron hit an RBI double and Hannah Hexum followed with an RBI single to make the score 2-0. 

After NY Mills took a 4-2 lead in the bottom half of the first inning, OTC tied the game up in the top of the second inning thanks to a passed ball and a bases loaded walk by Hexum that left the score at 4-4. The Bulldogs took a brief 5-4 lead in the top of the fourth inning on a wild pitch, before the Eagles scored four runs in the fourth inning and two more in the fifth inning to come away with the 10-6 win. 

The Bulldogs were led offensively by Olson and Cameron who each collected a pair of hits. 

Grace Thorpe took the loss in the circle as she went six innings and gave up nine hits, 10 earned runs, seven walks and struck out three batters. 

AB R H     BI

Kailie Robinson 3 0 1 3

Sophie Akerman 3 0 0 0

Kenady Cameron 3 0 0 0

Sia Olson 3 1 2 0

Emma Dirkman 3 1 1 0

Hannah Hexum 3 1 2 0

Jadia Koehn 2 1 0 0

Aubrey Hexum 3 1 1 0

Breanna Bunkow. 2 1 1 1

HITTING- 2B- Kailie Robinson, TB: Hannah Hexum 2, Kailie Robinson 2, Sia Olson 2, Aubrey Hexum 1, Brianna Bunkowski 1, Emma Dirkman 1

PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-k)- Sophie Akerman 7.0-4-5-2-6-4

AB R H     BI

Kailie Robinson 3 0 0 0

Abbie Godding 0 0 0 0

Sia Olson 3 2 2 0

Kenday Cameron 4 0 2 2

Maggie Hoekstra 0 0 0 0

Emma Dirkman 2 1 0 0

Hannah Hexum 3 0 1 2

Jadia Koehn 2 0 0 0

Grace Thorpe 4 0 0 0

Aubrey Hexum 4 1 1 0

Breanna Bunkow. 4 1 1 0

HITTING- 2B- Kenady Cameron, Sia Olson, TB: Kenady Cameron 3, Sia Olson 3, Aubrey Hexum 1, Brianna Bunkowski 1, Hannah Hexum 1

PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-k)- Grace Thorpe 6.0-9-10-10-7-3

Friday

OTC came out on the short end of a pair of games to Brandon-Evansville on Friday night by scores of 10-7 and 19-5. 

In the opening game of the night, OTC got on the scoreboard first when they scored a run on a passed ball in the top of the second inning. From there, the Chargers scored two runs in the second inning, one in the third and three in the fourth inning to take a 6-1 lead. 

OTC answered with four runs in the top of the sixth inning thanks to an RBI single by Emma Dirkman, and fielder’s choice by Jadia Koehn and a two-run single by Kailie Robinson to make the score 6-5. The Chargers answered with four runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth inning and OTC scored a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning but would get no closer as they fell 10-7.

Sia Olson led the way offensively with a pair of hits, while Robinson finished with two RBIs. 

Sophie Akerman took the loss in the circle as she went six innings and gave up 14 hits, 10 runs of which six were earned, walked three batters and struck out three hitters.

In the second game of the night, Brandon-Evansville scored nine runs in the first inning, two runs in both the second and third innings and added six more in the fifth inning to come away with a 19-5 win. The Chargers took advantage of six OTC errors and seven walks to come away with the win.

Kenady Cameron and Kailie Robinson led the way offensively with two hits in the loss.

Cameron took the loss in the circle as she gave up nine runs of which four were earned, two hits, five walks and struck out one batter in 2/3 of an inning. Grace Thorpe pitched 4 1/3 innings in relief and gave up 10 hits, 10 runs of which eight were earned, two walks and struck out five batters. 

AB R H     BI

Kailie Robinson 4 0 1 2

Sophie Akerman 3 0 0 0

Kenady Cameron 4 1 1 0

Sia Olson 4 2 2 1

Emma Dirkman 2 1 1 1

Hannah Hexum 4 1 1 0

Jadia Koehn 4 1 1 0

Maggie Hoekstra 4 1 1 1

Aubrey Hexum 3 0 1 0

HITTING- 2B- Kenady Cameron, Sia Olson, 3B: Sia Olson, TB: Sia Olson 5, Kenady Cameron 2, Aubrey Hexum 1, Emma Dirkman 1, Hannah Hexum 1, Jadia Koehn 1, Kailie Robinson 1, Maggie Hoekstra 1

PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-k)- Sophie Akerman 6.0-14-10-6-3-3

AB R H     BI

Abbie Godding 3 0 1 0

Sophie Akerman 3 0 0 1

Kenady Cameron 3 1 2 1

Sia Olson 3 0 0 1

Emma Dirkman 3 0 1 0

Hannah Hexum 3 0 0 0

Jadia Koehn 3 1 1 0

Grace Thorpe 2 1 1 1

Kailie Robinson 2 1 2 1

HITTING- 2B- Grace Thorpe, Jadia Koehn, 3B: Kenady Cameron, TB: Kenady Cameron 4, Grace Thorpe 2, Jadia Koehn 2, Kailie Robinson 2, Abbie Godding 1, Emma Dirkman 1

PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-k)- Kenady Cameron 0.2-2-9-4-5-1, Grace Thorpe 4.1-10-10-8-2-5