Blooming Prairie Awesome Blossoms softball team edges W-E-M 9-8 in regular-season finale Thursday

The Blooming Prairie Awesome Blossoms softball team closed out the regular season at home Thursday in a Gopher Conference matchup with Waterville-Elysian-Morristown, and after seeing a 7-4 lead vanish with the Buccaneers rallying for four runs in the top of the 7th, the Blossoms rallied right back with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning to win 9-8 in dramatic, walk-off fashion.

W-E-M jumped out to a 2-0 lead after a half-inning of play, but Blooming Prairie answered with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning to trail 2-1.   The Buccaneers added another run in the top of the third for a 3-1 cushion, but the Blossoms again answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning to make the score 3-2.  After the Buccaneers tallied another run in the top of the fourth to lead 4-2, the Blossoms tied the game with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning, and they then took the lead for the first time with three runs coming across in the bottom of the fifth for a 7-4 lead.  After a scoreless sixth, W-E-M pushed four runs across in the top of the seventh to take back the lead at 8-7, but the Blossoms were not disheartened as they plated two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning to win in dramatic fashion.

Offensively for BP, Lexi Steckelberg went 2 for 4 with a triple, two RBI’s and a run scored, Shawntee Snyder was 3 for 4 with a triple, an RBI and a run scored, leadoff hitter Macy Lembke rapped out two hits in four trips to the plate with a run knocked in and two more scored, Lauren Schammel went 1 for 4 with a pair of runs scored, and Anna Haberman was 1 for 4 with an RBI.

Pitcher Haven Carlson earned the win in the circle for the Blossoms as she pitched all seven innings and gave up the eight Buccaneer runs, five earned, on six hits, striking out eight and walking five in a game that also featured 11 errors committed between the two clubs, with eight committed by the Buccaneers and three by the Blossoms.

With the dramatic win, Blooming Prairie finishes the regular season with a record of 10-8, and the Blossoms will return to action in the Section 1AA tournament, which gets underway next Monday, May 22nd at a site and opponent yet to be determined.