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West sweeps opening day of 2021 SCHEELS Softball All-Star Series.

By Tim How, 06/08/21, 10:15AM CDT

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The West All-Stars used bit first innings, stout defense and great pitching to sweep the East All-Stars

Game 1 - West All-Stars 6, East All-Stars 2

The West All-Stars got off to a hot start with a five-run bottom of the first inning.

Pitcher Madison Zander (Century) knocked a two-out single to start the rally. Payton Gall (Jamestown) laced an RBI double to get the West on the board. Gall eventually came around to score on an error.

With the bases loaded and a 2-0 lead, Paige Balliet (Dickinson) lined a bases clearing, three-run triple into the outfield gap to extend the lead to 5-0.

Gall continued her hot start with an RBI double in the bottom of the second to make it 6-0 early for the hometown West All-Stars at the Sanford Sports Complex in Bismarck.

From there, East starting pitcher Hailey Schafer (Valley City) settled in. She allowed five hits and struck out three in four innings of work. Aubree Lindstrom (Central Cass) pitched two scoreless, hitless innings with three strikeouts.

Zander showed that the six-run lead was more than enough in the circle. She picked up the win allowing just one hit and striking out five batters in five innings of work. Tayrn Schurhamer (Wilton-Wing) allowed a run on two hits over the final two innings.

Lindstrom scored on a wild pitch in the top of the sixth to give the East their first run and Maddie Buchert (Sheyenne) blasted a solo homer in the seventh to cap the scoring.

Game 2 - West All-Stars 3, East All-Stars 2

The West All-Stars used a similar recipe in game two of the 2021 SCHEELS Softball All-Star Series. The scored three runs in the bottom of the first and held on thanks to sound pitching and defense.

Ella Roaldson (Jamestown) blasted a rocket of a two-run home run off the scoreboard in left center to give the West a 2-0 lead. Paige Hanson (Bismarck) singled and eventually came around to score on a single from Brooklyn Benno (Des Lacs-Burlington/Lewis & Clark) to make it 3-0.

Speaking of Benno, she was dominant in the circle for the West. She scattered three hits and struck out six batters in four scoreless innings before giving way to Gall, who picked up the save with three innings of work.

The East scored a single run in the fifth and a single run in the seventh, but missed out on opportunities to tie the game or take the lead in both innings.

In the fifth, Mackenzie Hughes (Thompson) doubled and came around to score on a Crysta Schanzenbach (Shanley) RBI single. Hughes scored the run in the seventh as well after walking and scoring on a Schafer RBI ground out.

Madelyn Esterby (Fargo South) tossed three innings in the circle as the starting, allowing three runs on six hits. Abby McDonald (Kindred-Richland) threw three scoreless innings allowing three hits and striking out two.

Coming Up Next

The West All-Stars will look to even the all-time series at five games apiece when the two teams take the field on Tuesday. For the first time ever, the SCHEELS Softball All-Star Series is heading to a Class B town with Central Cass Public School (Casselton) will host the game at Kost Field.

There will be a skills competition at 4 p.m. followed by a single game at 6 p.m. to wrap up the 2021 series.