Storm fastpitch top Hinkley/Finlayson - fall to Mille Lacs

   The Hill City-Northland (HC-N) Storm entered the Subsection 5A East Semifinals as the #2 seed earning a first round bye and heading directly to a semi-final matchup last Tuesday against the #3 seed Hinkley/Finlayson Jaguars.

   Kaija Neary took the mound for the Storm and went the distance allowing only six hits with six strike-outs, allowed one base on balls and two earned runs. Emma Fenke had three hits with a pair of RBIs; McKenzie Casper had tow hits, two runs and three stolen bases; Ally Zapzalka added a pair of hits and batted in one; Shaley Pearson had a RBI double and Neary a RBI single.

   The score was ties at one run each until the Storm bats heated up in the bottom of the sixth inning when they blew up with four runs to take the lead to 5-1 into the top of the 7th inning where Hinkley/Finlayson was only allowed one run for the 5-2 Storm win.

   Thursday night the girls traveled to Mora to take on a top seed, 12-0 Mille Lacs. Unfortunately ladies were not able to get the bats working on offense - falling to the Raiders 10-0.