Armstrong softball’s season came to an end last week after finishing second in the Section 6AAAA tournament after a two-game final against Edina on May 28 and 29.
The final
Entering the final as elimination champions meant that Armstrong had the challenge of needing two wins to take the section championship, while Edina needed just one. The Falcons, unphased, won game one 4-2 to force a game two giving themselves a chance at the Section 6AAAA title they almost won in 2023 and a spot at the state tournament.
But, Edina won the second game 6-4 after a thrilling, heartbreaking, and memorable seven innings of softball. The day started with a scoreless first inning that saw Ella Cooley take the mound after a busy week for senior pitcher Peyton Erickson. Armstrong struggled early to get any runs while Edina was able to score two runs with a solo home run and a ground ball. Erickson came in to pitch at the end of the second inning, closing things out with Edina ahead 2-0.
Cooley showed promise with a single in the top of the third, but a double play by Edina cut the batting short for the Falcons. Edina then scored a third run through a hit to right field. Sam Lind got two important tags to keep the scoring low and keep it 3-0 heading into the fourth inning.
With pressure mounting, Armstrong found an answer. Erickson hit a double that almost tipped over the fence, before Elizabeth Brey hit a homer well over the fence to make it 3-2. Edina cut the scoring off there, but Armstrong The sixth inning was where things opened up. As if on rewind, Erickson hit a single to get on base, before Brey struck her second home run of the game to get two runs and take the lead at 4-2 for Armstrong. Lexi Madson hit a double, but a tight tag call at first ended the at-bats for the Falcons. Edina was under pressure and found their answer right away, loading the bases after two early outs. A deep hit into left field opened the door for all three base runners to come home, giving Edina a 6-4 lead, which they held on to win the Section 6AAAA championship in the top of the seventh.
Road to the final
Armstrong began a competitive series of games in the latter stages of the Section 6AAAA tournament with a nailbiting 6-5 loss to Edina at Pamela Park on May 24. Trailing 5-1 after three and a half innings, Armstrong mounted a true comeback into the game in the bottom of the fourth. Sam Lind hit an RBI single for Brey before Annaleigh Walvante hit an RBI single of her own to get Madson home. Julia Girod’s two RBI make it 6-5, the Hornets still ahead. The Falcons fought hard to get ahead and earned extra air under their wings with the introduction of Cooley at the mound. Edina, however, held out and won.
Armstrong returned to Pamela Park four days later to face rivals Wayzata in the elimination bracket final. The Falcons took a key 5-3 victory over the Trojans, who they lost to in the regular season, to advance to the Section 6AAAA finals, starting that night.
Armstrong is graduating a senior class to remember, including several players who have been core to the team for multiple years. The Falcons had six seniors this season, including Brey, Claire Riestenberg, Girod, Erickson, Lind, and Madison Fondow.
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