Champlin Park softball built on a positive 2-1 start to the season with a 9-2 win over Hill-Murray at home on April 15, marking its most prolific day of scoring so far this spring. It was also Hill-Murray’s first loss of the season after a three-game winning streak.
The Rebels set a strong tone defensively from the start, finding three quick outs at the top of the first through second baseman Amanda Kotsmith, shortstop Reese Reimler, and first baseman Marissa Rothenberger. Ava Parent caught a third out at center field. All of this complimented a strong day on the mound for freshman pitcher Ava Abrahamson.
Champlin Park continued that trend into the second inning but also struggled to make the most of their chances. Parent, Reimler, and Taylor Zahalka all got chances to run the bases, but Hill-Murray worked hard to keep the game 0-0 going into the third inning.
The game changed in the bottom of the fifth, starting with a single for Kotsmith, who then took second. Hannah Husom hit an RBI double, getting Kotsmith home and Champlin Park on the board. Parent stepped up to hit a one-RBI home run before Abrahamson hit a solo home run to keep the points coming.
An RBI single by Erin Kaluza led Zahalka home for the final run of the inning. Champlin Park did load the bases before the end of the bottom of the third, but Hill-Murray responded well and prevented disaster. The Rebels now led 5-0.
Neither team could get on the board in the fourth inning, though Champlin Park did nearly reignite the fire when they loaded the bases with Reimler, Layla Nguyen, and Abrahamson.
A strikeout, tag by Zahalka, and a catch for Kotsmith returned Champlin Park to bat in the bottom of the fifth, where they once again found their feet with four more runs. Chloe Postma hit a single and eventually reached home on an error. Husom then hit an RBI single to send Kotsmith home, before Champlin Park added two more to make it 9-0.
Hill-Murray found two runs in the sixth and seventh innings, but there was no comeback in the cards as the Rebels secured their largest win of the season thus far. Junior Lauren Heltemes closed out the final two innings as a pitcher for Champlin Park.
Champlin Park head coach Bryan Woodley noted after the game that it was encouraging to see the Rebels be ready to take it to a strong program like Hill-Murray early in a season with its share of postponements and obstacles.
“I thought we got the bats going really well tonight. The weather has been difficult, so we’ve been inside, outside, so getting things going, and get our confidence up in a mental game like softball can be difficult,” Woodley said. “But, it was good to see us do it today. Hill-Murray’s a good team.”
Woodley added that there’s room to grow amid a performance that very well could’ve seen Champlin Park win in five innings, but was also excited for the talent shown on both sides of play.
“There’s been opportunities in earlier games to break it open and we just haven’t quite done it. As our confidence grows and get more at bats we’ll get better and better. It was nice to see Ava Abrahamson in the circle tonight in her first varsity opportunity. She pitched really well.”
Abrahamson ended the day with just two hits against her, four strikeouts, and zero runs against her as a pitcher. Heltemes added another strikeout during her two innings pitched.
Other results
Champlin Park played two more games last week, with a third against Andover canceled due to weather. Their first of the two was a 4-2 loss to Rogers at home on April 17. The Rebels did well early in the game to pick up two runs for Kotsmith and Parent in the first inning, before a Rogers comeback in the fourth. Parent and Reimler also picked one RBI each.
The Rebels responded to defeat with a dominant 8-1 victory over Totino-Grace the next day. The Rebels ended the week with a 3-2 Northwest Suburban Conference record, 4-2 overall.
Reimler starred in the win with three RBI and one run, while Husom picked up two RBI and two runs. Kotsmith also scored two runs, while Rothenberger scored one.
Champlin Park will play four games the following week, hosting Centennial and Andover on April 23 and 24, before traveling to Elk River and Brainerd on April 25 and 26.
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