Champlin Park softball concluded its 2024 season last week with two games in the Section 5AAAA tournament, concluding with a loss in the championship game to Rogers on May 30.
Rogers
Champlin Park’s elimination bracket final win over Maple Grove pitted the team against Rogers in the section final on May 30. Champlin Park would have needed two straight victories to qualify for state, but in game one Maple Grove won 3-0 to qualify.
The Rebels have been hard to beat defensively all season, even in their championship loss, shutting out Rogers for the first four innings with strong pitching by Ava Abrahamson. She ended the night with 62 pitches and three strikeouts.
Champlin Park struggled to score, though Marissa Rothenberger, Erin Kaluza, Chloe Postma, and Reese Reimler all registered hits. Rogers’ pitcher Annabelle Waldoch had nine strikeouts and 86 pitches.
That concludes a remarkable season for head coach Bryan Woodley and his team, who went 21-4 overall this season and won a share of the Northwest Suburban Conference title alongside Rogers and Andover. The Rebels notably earned wins against the likes of Maple Grove, Wayzata, a strong Spring Lake Park, and Section 6AAAA finalist Armstrong.
The young team will graduate two seniors, Madison Hasselbring and Peyton Heitzman, with an exciting class of 2025 and several younger players set to return next Spring.
Maple Grove
Champlin Park began the week with a triumphant performance against Maple Grove in the Section 5AAAA elimination final, beating the Crimson 5-2 on May 28 at home.
Rothenberger began a run of six shutout innings in the pitching circle with a crisp top of the first, getting the Rebels to bat quickly. Once there, Champlin Park loaded the bases with Amanda Kotsmith, Reimler, and Abrahamson. Postma had an RBI to bring Kotsmith home and take a 1-0 lead, but Maple Grove prevented further damage. First baseman Kaluza and shortstop Kotsmith were in fine form in the second inning, helping keep Maple Grove off the scoreboard. The Crimson did the same to Champlin Park.
Kaluza got three tags in the top of the third before Champlin Park scored two more runs of their own. Singles by Reimler and Rothenberger get feet on bases, with Sydney Burnevik coming in for Rothenberger. A two-RBI double from Postma broke the game open and made it 3-0 in eventful fashion.
Maple Grove got feet on the bases in the top of the fourth, but a kill by Rothenberger and tags by Lauren Heltemes and Kaluza kept the Crimson back. Rothenberger hit an RBI single to help Peyton Heitzman score a run in the bottom of the fourth. Abrahamson did the same to bring Kotsmith home and make it 5-0. That scoreline held until the seventh inning when Maple Grove scored two runs to keep hope alive. A big double play by Heltemes at second base, tagging a runner and throwing to first, ended the game and ensured Champlin Park a spot in the final.
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