Greenbush-Middle River Senior High School



RISING TO THE CHALLENGE?? ? Coming off a third consecutive season in which the Gators lost in the Section Championship game the BGMR Softball Team is looking to find a way to make the next step and getting back to the state tournament. Last seasons’ losses in the section championship were especially difficult as the Gators were in the driver’s seat with Norman County needing to beat the Gators twice. Unfortunately for the Gators, Norman County did complete the sweep and earned the trip to state. BGMR took a big hit to their lineup as they lost four outstanding players to graduation in Paige Taggart, Tori Mekash, Katie Howell and Lyndsey Anderson. Each of those seniors were major contributors to the Gator lineup and trying to fill their shoes will be tough. BGMR however has established a solid program and many players have shown that they might be ready for the primetime of varsity softball. Section 8A continues to improve each season and the parity is becoming more evident.? Either way the Gators will have their work cut out for them as they try to make a run at the section championship and several teams in the section returning some of their top players.?? ? The Gators will be coached by Kent Christian who is in his twentieth year and assisted by David Blazek, and Meghan Kvien.? The Gators numbers are a bit down this year as they lost 4 to graduation and another handful of girls decided not to come out. BGMR started the regular season with 33 players in grades 7-12.? There seems to be a good balance between older and younger girls and the talent level continues to be solid. The spring weather so far has been outstanding. The fields are clear of snow and most teams are basically just waiting for frost to come out. Because of this the Gator coaching staff is looking forward to getting outside to see what some players can do as there looks to be a high level of competition for several open spots. The Gator coaching staff will take a long look at each position as the regular season begins.? Here is a position by position look at the Gators.FIRST BASE:? Gone from first is Taggart. Taggart was a key contributor for the Gators and will be sorely missed. First base is a huge question mark for the Gators but one in which there are several qualified candidates. Juniors, Julia Stenberg and Amy Svir and Sophomores Abbie Brockhouse, and Graceii Gullickson could all see time at first. There are a host of other candidates as Danielle Hoyer, Hannah Anderson, Carly Mekash, and Maddi Janicke could also battle for time. Freshman Katie Hamann has passion for the game and could see time at first at the j.v. level. Whoever steps up and shows that they can catch the ball and hit on a consistent basis will win the job. Fortunately for the Gators they have some options at first and this will be one of the key positions the Gators need to fill.SECOND BASE:? Perhaps one of the better fielding second baseman in Gators history has graduated in Tori Mekash. The Gators however are happy to have Morgan Anderson back as she sat out last season with a torn ACL. Anderson will need some time to get back into softball rhythm but the coaching staff is counting on her to lock down second base. Stenberg could also play second along with Gullickson, Brockhouse and Janicke also vying for time. Like first whoever steps up and fields and hits consistently will win the job. O’Brien Stromsodt has worked out at second and could see time there but looks more comfortable out in the outfield and may need some j.v. time to improve her hitting.SHORTSTOP:? Emily Anderson is back as the Gators starting shortstop. Anderson has great athleticism but will need to take that next step to become an elite player. Taking that step will be showing consistent play both offensively and defensively. Sophomore Brenna Dallager had an outstanding summer and she too could get time at short. Gullickson played shortstop on j.v. last year and if needed could fill in or even battle for the starting job. When not pitching Aunica Novacek can play short and Anderson will move behind the plate to give the Gator catcher a break. Carly Mekash and Sierrah Mooney are outstanding athletes and will push for playing time at the varsity level simply because of their athletic ability.THIRD BASE:? Dallager was the Gator starting third baseman at the end of the year and will be counted on to solidify that spot this year. Dallager is a fierce competitor and seems to have the third baseman mentality. Third base is one spot in which the Gators do not have a lot of depth. Janicke, Mooney and Mekash could fight for time. Senior Kelli Parnow has worked out at third a bit this spring but has never experienced the hot corner before. Novacek could also play third if Dallager is pitching.OUTFIELD:? With the loss of Katie Howell BGMR has only one experienced outfielder returning in Taylor Becker. Howell was a strong player for the Gators and is now playing at Northland Community and Technical College. Becker will play center for the Gators and the coaching staff is hoping Becker can continue with the play she demonstrated this summer. Johanna Jacobson saw time in the outfield last year and looks to be the front runner to win a job but needs to hit more consistently. Parnow is also chomping at the bit to see some outfield time. Svir had a nice offensive season last year and will be looked at to win an outfield spot. There is a pack of Gators who are just waiting their turn to show what they can do in the outfield. Nadja Melby and Bella Grafstrom have shown some promise offensively but defensively they both have some huge strides to make. Rachel Peterson and Jose Locken have also shown some potential but they too need to become more consistent. Freshmen Montgomery DeZeler and Chloe Vanderport play outfield but will need some j.v. time to fine tune their skills. With so many girls looking for time in the outfield it may be tough for all of them to see time at the varsity level. This will be one of the positions to watch as the Gators start game action. CATCHER:? Lyndsey Anderson seemed to be the Gator catcher since the start of time but she now has graduated. Anderson called an outstanding game and she will be missed. The Gators however have another Anderson ready to step in. Hannah Anderson (no relation) looks ready to take over as the Gator starting catcher. Anderson does a good job receiving the ball but the coaching staff is hoping her batting comes around. Hoyer is getting better every day but still has some work to do both offensively and defensively. BGMR could also count on Emily Anderson to chew up some innings behind the plate. BGMR is still trying to find some catchers who will be able to step in and do a good job so the catching position for the Gators is most certainly a work in progress.PITCHER:? The Gator pitching is as good as it has ever been. Although the Gators might not have the big flame thrower BGMR has several pitchers who will keep them in the game. Senior Aunica Novacek is the ace of the staff and will log most of the innings. Stenberg, Dallager and Peterson are also quality pitchers and the coaching staff feels comfortable throwing any of them at any time. Gullickson, Mekash and Mooney can also pitch but will probably see time on the j.v. this year. If they continue to improve the pitching staff will most certainly be the strength of the Gator team. A fastpitch team is only as good as its pitching so developing pitchers and getting more junior high girls who are willing to make the sacrifice to become good pitchers is a high priority for the coaching staff. Section 8A is getting stronger every year. Several teams have their eye on the prize of a trip to the state tournament. Sacred Heart returns standout pitcher Hannah Reimer who will keep any team in a game. Norman County East-Ulen Hitterdal is always a team to reckon with as they have a couple shutdown pitchers and a solid offense. Norman County (Ada and Norman County West) are the defending section champions and Red Lake Falls returns several strong players. Lake of the Woods and Blackduck both seem to have their program on the upswing.? There is no easy path but the Gator girls look up to the challenge and while some teams wish for a championship the Gators are working for it. The Gators recently competed in a scrimmage down at the Huskydome in St. Cloud. The Gators may have shown some rust but competed very well against some 2A and 3A teams. The season is just around the corner and the Gators will be ready.?? ? The BGMR Softball Program would also like to take this time to invite you to view their website. ?The address is: site will give you an inside view to the Gator program and current record holders, pictures, game schedule and other information.? A person can also access the site by going to the GMR school website and clicking on activities and selecting softball.GATORS UPEND TITANS On a beautiful end of March day the BGMR Gator Softball Team opened their season with an impressive 10-6 win over the Norman County East-Ulen-Hitterdahl Titans. The Gators were able to take advantage of some wildness by the Titan’s pitchers and were able to piece together some timely two out hitting that contributed to several of the Gator runs. After trailing 1-0 after one inning BGMR scored 3 runs in the third with the big hit being a two out single by Brenna Dallager. The hit was one of 2 hits on the day for Dallager who also collected 4 runs batted in. BGMR would give up one run in the third, but the Gators managed to blow the game open with a 5 run fourth inning. Much to the Titans credit they would make the game interesting with 2 runs in the bottom of the fifth but BGMR would score 2 in the seventh to bring home the win. Gator starting pitcher Rachel Peterson pitched a solid 3 innings and Brenna Dallager finished the last 4 innings to pick up the win. Defensively the Gators were solid committing only 1 error. Offensively the Gators were led by Dallager who had 2 hits. No other Gators had more than one hit but seven Gators managed to get a hit against the strong pitching of the Titans. The Gators will now have a couple days of practice before they travel to Thief River Falls on Monday to take on the Prowlers. The Prowlers have a strong program and they have had the Gators number as of late. The Gators open up their home season on Tuesday when the Freeze come to town. The Freeze are now coached by former Gator Angie Peterson (Flaten), so it should be an exciting day. IMPLOSION Leading 8-4 with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning the BGMR Gator softball team, despite their sloppy play for much of the game, looked poised to pick up their second win of the season. The scrappy Thief River Falls Prowler team had other ideas and scored 5 runs to beat the Gators 9-8. Offensively the Gators got off to a nice start as they scored 3 runs in the first. BGMR proceeded to give back two of those runs in the bottom of the first as the Gators had a tough time fielding the ball cleanly. The Prowlers would take the lead in the second as BGMR again gave the Prowlers 2 runs. BGMR would tie the score in the fourth and added two runs in the sixth and seventh before the Prowlers exploded for a 5 run seventh again aided by inept defensive play by the Gators. BGMR had several individuals who had nice offensive games. Brenna Dallager led the Gators with 3 hits, while Aunica Novacek and Morgan Anderson picked up two hits each. The Gators managed to outhit the Prowlers 10-7. Taking pride in their defense is usually a staple for the Gators. Against the Prowlers however, the Gators booted the ball around like it was a kickball game and committed 8 errors. Giving teams two full extra innings will spell doom for any team and the pesky Prowler team took advantage of the Gators miscues. BGMR will have to get over the loss in a hurry as the Gators will now play the Northern Freeze tomorrow afternoon. Game time is set for 5:00 and is the home opener for the Gators. Hopefully the Gators will come out on a mission as former Gator player Angie Peterson (Flaten) makes her debut as the Freeze coach.GATORS OUTLAST FREEZE Playing in less than ideal conditions the BGMR Gator Softball team outlasted the Northern Freeze 14-1. The game, which was played with a constant snow fall and freezing temperatures, saw the Gators jump on the Freeze early with a 3 run first. BGMR would build on its lead and blow the game open with an 8 run third. The Freeze managed 1 run in the third without getting a hit as Gators starting pitcher Julie Stenberg lost her pinpoint control and walked 4 consecutive batters. Stenberg however was outstanding throughout the game pitching in miserable conditions. She did not allow a hit to pick up the victory. Offensively the Gators were led by Aunica Novacek and Brenna Dallager who each has two hits. Novacek and Emily Anderson each scored 3 times and Nadja Melby came across the plate twice. The Gators are supposed to take on Roseau tomorrow in Greenbush. The coaching staff will do everything they can to get the fields ready but Mother Nature may have other ideas. Game time is set for 5:00 and the Gators are looking forward to getting back on the field.GATOR BLAST RAMS Playing solid in all aspects of the game the BGMR Gator Softball Team was able to jump on the Roseau Rams early and cruised to a 17-1 victory over the Rams. BGMR managed to plate 6 runs in the first inning, tacked 9 more on in the second as they sent 15 batters to the plate, and added two more in the third. Meanwhile Gator starting pitcher Aunica Novacek threw a complete game two hitter as Novacek struck out 2 and did not walk a batter. Offensively BGMR was solid throughout the lineup and had many strong at bats. Taylor Becker and Kelly Parnow each managed three hits apiece for the Gators. Brenna Dallager continued her hot hitting with 2 hits. Defensively the Gators played solid committing only 1 error. With the win the Gators pushed their season record.to 3-1. The Gator varsity will have a couple days off before they return to action on Tuesday when a solid Warroad Warrior team comes to the Swamp. The Gator J.V. will be traveling to Warroad tomorrow to take part in the Warroad Tournament and the Gator junior high will be hosting a tournament tomorrow. Junior high action starts at 10:00. Come on out and support these young Gators, watch some outstanding softball and treat yourself to some great Gator concessions.GATORS TAKE CARE OF WARRIORS A young and talented Warroad Warrior team came to the Swamp playing good softball and was hoping to show that they are a team to contend with. The BGMR Gator Softball Team however was able to capitalize on some inexperienced Warrior play and the Gators held on for 9-5 win over the Warriors. BGMR jumped on the Warriors early as the Gators scored 2 runs in the first. Warroad would make it a one run game by scoring one in the fourth but the Gators matched that run with one in their half of the fourth. The Gators blew the game open with 5 runs in the fifth. The Gators were able to take advantage of a couple critical Warrior errors and came up with some timely two out hitting. The young Warriors would not go away and scored 4 runs in the top of the sixth. In the inning the Gators fell apart defensively as they began to throw the ball around and allowed the Warriors to take extra base after extra base. With momentum on their site and trailing by 4 going into the last inning the Warriors looked poised to make a comeback. The Gators however regained their composure and put the Warriors down in order to win the game. Offensively the Gators were led by Aunica Novacek who has 3 hits. 5 other Gators had hits and 6 others had runs batted in. Novacek threw a solid game as she threw a complete game 4 hitter, striking out 7 and walking two. Defensively the Gators have a lot of work to do if they want to be a team to beat come playoff time. Too many unforced errors have caused the Gators to give up too many unearned runs. Defense obviously will be an area of emphasis for the Gators in the coming weeks. BGMR continues game play on Thursday when the travel to Oklee to take on the Red Lake County Mustangs. The Mustangs have struggled a bit this year but in softball one never knows. Game time is set for 5:00. GATORS HANDLE MUSTANGS For the first time in program history the BGMR Gators traveled to the new softball fields in Oklee to take on the Red Lake County Mustangs. The Gators were able to make it a memorable trip as the Gators pounded out 12 hits and scored 24 runs in route to a 24-1 victory over a young Mustang team. The Gators would leave little doubt in this one early as they scored 4 in the first, six in the second, and tacked on 5 more in each of the third and fourth innings and finished with 4 more runs in the fifth. The Gators had cleared their bench after the third inning but the young Gators, many of whom were seeing their first varsity action, wanted to prove a point and put together several quality at bats. Meanwhile the Mustangs were struggling on defense as they committed 11 errors and were unable to muster much offense against Gators starting pitcher Aunica Novacek. Novacek went the distance as she allowed only 3 hits, struck out six, and did not walk a batter. Offensively the Gators were led by Brenna Dallager and Emily Anderson who had 3 hits apiece. Seven Gators managed to get a hit and Josee Locken, who came on to play in the third inning managed to get her first two career varsity hits. Not to be overlooked was Rachel Peterson who was making her first varsity start in the outfield and was able to cross the plate 4 times. The Gators rearranged their upcoming schedule. Because of forecasted bad weather for next Tuesday the Gators and Red Lake Falls agreed to play their game tomorrow (Friday). The Eagles are always a tough team and tomorrow’s game in the Swamp should be no different as these two teams face off for the first time this season. All 3 Gators teams will be playing with first pitch scheduled to be at 5:00. It looks to be a gorgeous day so come out and catch some outstanding softball.GATOR SOFTBALL SURVIVES UGLY ONE Playing one of their rivals one would think that both teams would be at the top of their game. The BGMR Gators and Red Lake Falls Eagles softball teams however threw that theory out the window as both teams fumbled their way through the 8-5 Gator victory. The game that was originally scheduled for Tuesday but was moved up to Friday because of predicted bad weather, saw both teams struggle with their defense. The Gators would give the Eagles two runs in the first, would tie the game at 3 after three innings of play and would break the game open with a 3 run fourth. In the fourth the Eagles defense was less than spectacular and the Gators took advantage. BGMR proceeded to give two runs back in the fifth as they kicked the ball around like it was a hacky sack. Much to the Gators credit they answered with two runs in their half of the fifth and shut the Eagles down the last two innings to pick up the win. Offensively the Gators managed only 5 hits with Amy Svir collecting two of those. Svir and Brenna Dallager had two RBI’s each. The Eagles were led by speedster Jayde Sandberg and ShyAnn Larson who each had two hits. Gator starting pitcher Julia Stenberg and Eagle starting pitcher Kelly Schultz each should have taken their defense behind the woodshed and gave them a lecture. Much to their credit they continued to pitch through defensive miscues. Stenberg pitched a complete game 8 hitter as she struck out 2 and did not walk a batter. The Gators will now have a few days off before their next game. BGMR will travel to East Grand Forks on Thursday to take on the Green Wave. The Green Wave beat the Gators last year and being the teams only play once a year BGMR will be looking for a little revenge. Game time is set for 5:00 with all three Gator teams playing.GATORS JUMP ON WAVE EARLY AND HOLD ON FOR WIN Playing a young but athletic East Grand Forks Green Wave softball team the BGMR Gators jumped on the Green Wave with two runs in each of the first three innings and held on for an 8-4 victory over the Green Wave. The Gators were able to capitalize on some early Green Wave mistakes but the Green Wave showed that they could be an up and coming team as they got better and better as the game went along. The Gators meanwhile went into a little bit of an offensive drought as they scored 6 runs in the first 3 innings and only 2 runs through the next 4 innings. Gator starting pitcher Aunica Novacek went 6 2/3 innings as she gave up 4 runs on 8 hits and uncharacteristically walked 3 batters. Julia Stenberg came in relief to pick up the final out and closed out the Gator victory. Offensively the Gators managed 9 hits. Kellie Parnow and Hannah Anderson each collected 2 hits and Morgan Anderson led the Gators by scoring 2 runs. The Gators continue to have solid at bats and seem to be getting their monies worth at the plate. The Green Wave had 8 hits with Megan Boman, Grace Beck and Brittney Neil each securing 2 hits. Novacek however was able to keep the rest of the East Grand Forks lineup at bay. With the win the Gators improved to 7-1 on the season. BGMR will now have a day of practice before they host the Coaches Classic Tournament this weekend. Several strong teams from Minnesota and North Dakota will be participating in the tournament with game action starting at 10:30. Come on out and enjoy some great softball, great concessions and hopefully pleasant weather. The Gators have only 3 more home dates left on the schedule so playoff time is just around the corner.GATORS TAKE SECOND PLACE AT COACHES CLASSIC On a beautiful Saturday and with Gator Head Chef Joel Erickson grilling burgers, dogs and brats like he was competing for the chief pit master award the BGMR Gator Softball team would win their first two games but lose in the championship of the Coaches Classic Softball Tournament.GATORS DOWN TOMMIES BGMR erupted for six runs in the second inning and rode the strong pitching of Aunica Novacek to pick up their first win in 3 team pool play. Novacek would throw a complete game 5 hitter as she only allowed one walk and struck out one. Meanwhile the Gator defense was flawless as they did not commit an error against a strong Thompson offensive lineup. The Gators managed only 6 hits for the game, with six different Gators getting a hit. The Gators took advantage of 4 walks and 4 Tommie errors in route to the 9-0 victory. With the win the Gators were 1-0 in their 3 team pool.GATORS ADVANCE TO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME A young but well coached Little Fork-Big Falls Vikings team gave the Gators fits for2 ? innings before the Gators erupted for 6 runs in the third and 3 runs in the fourth to put down the challenge by the Vikings. Gator starting pitcher Julia Stenberg pitched a gem as she allowed 2 runs with none of them being earned, giving up 7 hits and striking out 2. The Gator defense did struggle a bit as they committed 5 errors. Stenberg however had her teammates rope and consistently pitched out of the trouble that her teammates would put her in. Offensively the Gators did little to nothing as they only had four hits. No Gator had more than 1 hit. The Gators did manage to walk 9 times and put pressure on the young Vikings with their heads up base running. The win would put the Gators at 2-0 in pool play and would send the Gators to the championship game where they would take on the Central Cass Squirrels who dominated their pool by going 2-0.SQUIRRELS DOWN GATORS FOR CHAMPIONSHIP A veteran Central Cass Squirrels team showed that they could be the team to beat in North Dakota Class B Softball as the Squirrels jumped on the Gators early and held on for a 7-4 victory over the Gators. Central Cass would score 3 runs in the first inning and one more in the third to take a 4-0 lead. BGMR would answer with 2 runs in the third but Central Cass would score 1 in the fifth to take a 5-2 lead. The relentless Gators made it a 5-4 game with two runs in their half of the fifth but Central Cass managed 2 runs in the sixth. Those two runs came on a critical Gator error as the ball appeared to be lost in the sun by the Gator infield. The Squirrels would shut down the Gators the rest of the way to become champions of the 2015 Coaches Classic Tournament. BGMR starting pitcher Aunica Novacek got roughed up early but after a shaky start buckled down and kept the game close the rest of the way. Novacek threw a complete game giving up 7 runs, 4 which were earned, on 14 hits. She struck out 2 and did not walk a batter. The Gator defense played well against a relentless Squirrel offense. The Gators did however commit 3 errors with two of them costing 3 runs. The Gators had a solid day all around. The Gator J.V. managed to take second place as they too lost to the Squirrels in their five team round robin tournament. The Gator C team went to Thief River Falls and continued the trend of second place finishes as the C team lost to Thief River Falls in the championship game. The Coaches Classic tournament was a success and several of the schools who participated enjoyed the day. Of course the beautiful weather helped but the volunteerism of the Gator faithful had a great impact. A special thank you to Joel Erickson who again was a hit at the grill. Dennis Pelowski took control of field prep and Russ Anderson and Kent Janicke who also helped with field prep. Also, a big thank you to all those parents who helped in the concession stand. Without Gator Nation helping out we would never be able to host a tournament and show off our find facility. BGMR will now hit the road for a few games. BGMR travels to Red Lake Falls tomorrow in what should be an outstanding game. BGMR will travel to Newfolden on Thursday to take on the Freeze. With the Holy Day of prom this weekend the Gators will have the weekend off before they travel to Warroad next Tuesday. The season is flying by and there isn’t much time to catch this Gator team in action.GATOR SOFTBALL CRUISES BY RED LAKE FALLS Getting off to a hot start has been a bit of a trademark for the BGMR Softball Team this year and Tuesday’s contest at Red Lake Falls no different for the Gators. BGMR scored 1 run in the first, 3 in the second and 2 more in the third and would go on to beat the Red Lake Falls Eagles 9-4. Junior, Julie Stenberg continued her impressive pitching as Stenberg went the distance giving up 6 hits, striking out 3 and walking only 1. Although Stenberg fell behind in the count more than normal she made quality pitches when it counted and pushed her record to 4-0. The Gators defense was again a bit shaky as the Gators committed 4 errors. The Gators did make some impressive defensive plays but will need to shore up their defense before the upcoming playoffs. Offensively the Gators pounded out 12 hits and were led by Gracei Gullikson who had 3 hits and two runs batted in. Taylor Becker and Morgan Anderson also each had 2 hits. Five other Gators had at least 1 hit on the night. The win pushed the Gators record to 10-2. BGMR will look to continue their winning ways when they travel to Newfolden to take on the Northern Freeze. The Gators and Freeze met earlier this year in the blizzard bowl and both teams are hoping for better conditions this time around. Game time is scheduled for 5:00.GATORS BLOW BY FREEZE The BGMR Gator Softball Team took advantage of some inexperienced Northern Freeze pitching and got some timely hitting in route to a 17-0 victory over the Freeze. Gator starting pitcher Aunica Novacek went the distance in the game shorten to five innings because of the 10 run rule. Novacek limited the Freeze to 2 hits and 1 walk while striking out 6. Offensively the Gators were led by Novacek who had 3 hits. Taylor Becker, Kellie Parnow and Rachel Peterson had two hits apiece as the Gators pounded out 11 hits. Defensively the Gators were almost flawless in the field as they committed 1 error late in the game. After having a couple days off the Gators will have a busy week. The Gators will travel to Warroad tomorrow to take on a strong Warrior team. On Thursday BGMR will host a Sacred Heart team that has one of the stronger pitchers in the region in Hannah Reimer. On Saturday the Gators will host the Gators Classic Tournament. 8 teams will be coming to the Swamp to take part in the tournament. Tournament action starts at 10:00 with several strong teams coming in. It will also mark the last home regular season game for the Gators so come on out and watch this exciting team.WARRIORS STYMIE GATORS Behind a masterful pitching performance by Elise Anderson the Warroad Warriors were able to pull out a hard fought 2-0 victory over the BGMR Gators in high school girls’ softball. Gator starting pitcher Aunica Novacek matched Anderson pitch for pitch in a good old fashion pitchers dual. Unfortunately for the Gators, Warroad was able to plate two runs on two squeeze plays during the third and sixth innings and that was all they would need. Offensively the Gators loaded the bases with nobody out in the fifth inning but Anderson was able to strike out Emily Anderson and Brenna Dallager and got Taylor Becker to ground out to kill any potential Gator rally. The Gators were led in hitting by Hannah Anderson who had two hits. No other Gator had more than 1 hit. Anderson went the distance for the Warriors as she allowed 6 hits, 1 walk and struck out 8. Meanwhile Novacek was equally impressive as she allowed 4 hits, struck out 5 and walked 1. With the loss the Gators record dropped to 11-3. BGMR will now get ready to face another tough pitcher on Thursday when Sacred Heart comes to town. Game time is set for 5:00 with the Gators honoring their parents that night. Gator players and parents will be announced throughout the night. It should be an outstanding game with two competitive teams going at it.GATORS TAKE THIRD AT GATOR CLASSIC On a cold May day the BGMR Gator Softball Team was looking to defend its Gator Classic Softball Championship. Unfortunately for the Gators they ran into a hot Sacred Heart team in the semifinals and had to settle for a third place finish in the tough tournament. The Gators opened the day with a 13-0 five inning win over the Lake of the Woods Bears. The Gators were able to capitalize on 7 Bear errors and pounded out 12 hits in route to the five inning victory. Offensively the Gators were led by Emily Anderson who had 3 hits including a home run. Aunica Novacek, Brenna Dallager, Gracei Gullikson, and Hannah Anderson had two hits apiece with Novacek also hitting a home run. Pitching wise Novacek went the distance picking up the shutout. She gave up 5 hits and did not walk a batter while striking out 2. The Bears are a strong hitting team and the Gator defense was solid as they committed only 1 error behind Novacek. With the win the Gators would move into semifinal action against Sacred Heart who escaped with a 3-2 victory over Roseau.EAGLES SCORE 4 RUNS IN TOP OF SEVENTH TO TAKE DOWN GATORS This game looked to be one of the tournaments better matchups as the Eagles and Gators always have a strong rivalry. Both teams would not disappoint as the 7-3 final was not a true indication of how close the game was. Sacred Heart would strike quickly as Michele Remer blasted a solo home run in the first. Sacred Heart would add to their lead with a run in the fourth but BGMR would cut the deficit to 2-1 with a run in their half of the fourth. Sacred Heart would tack on 1 more run in the sixth but BGMR tied the game with 2 in their half of the sixth. Sacred Heart would proceed to score 4 runs in the seventh to put the game away. The Gators almost got out of the inning without giving up a run as Gator third baseman Brenna Dallager made a diving stop with the bases loaded and touch third but the ball was ruled just foul. Sacred Heart proceeded to get a big two out hit that cleared the bases and that was all she wrote. Gator starting pitcher Julia Stenberg threw well as she went 7 innings giving up 11 hits and 7 runs. With softball being a game of inches Stenberg’s numbers could have been completely different if the ball would have bounced the Gators way. Offensively the Gators managed only five hits. No Gator had more than one hit and Eagle starting pitcher Anna Koponen was strong throughout the game. Hannah Reimer came in relief of Koponen to pick up the win. With the loss the Gators would move into the third and fourth place game against the familiar foe Red Lake Falls Eagles.GATORS TAKE THIRD Trying a bit of a different line-up the BGMR Gators found themselves in hole early as the Eagles jumped on the Gators with 3 runs in the first. BGMR would cut the deficit to one with 1 run in the first and 1 in the second and after Red Lake Falls scored 1 in the third BGMR would score 3 in their half of the third to take the lead and never look back. Gator starting pitcher Brenna Dallager threw four solid innings as Dallager gave up 4 runs with none of them being earned. Dallager gave up 1 hit and struck out 1. Rachel Peterson came in relief of Dallager and Peterson shut the door as she pitched 3 solid innings to pick up her first career save. Defensively the Gators had people in different spots and it showed as the Gators committed 8 errors. BGMR however was able to hold on as the pitching kept them in the game. Offensively BGMR pounded the ball throughout the game as BGMR managed 10 hits. Aunica Novacek, Emily Anderson and Gracei Gullikson each picked up two hits with Gullikson picking up her first career home run which was an inside the park home run. Gullikson and Becker each had two runs batted in to lead the Gators. The Gator Classic was another successful tournament as the Norman County East-Ulen Hitterdal Titans brought home the championship with a 4-1 win over Sacred Heart. The Gator junior varsity brought home the championship in the j.v. portion of the tournament by winning all 3 of its games. The Gators softball program would like to take this time to thank all those parents who worked in the concession stand and helped with field prep. Without you the tournament would never be possible. Also, a HUGE thank you again to Gator Head Chef Joel Erickson who did an amazing job on the grill. Another thank you to Dale Wicklund who provided the porta potties. Of course with Wicklund plumping a flush always beats a full house! Last but not least a thank you to Ace of Greenbush who donated the piping for the water that was run to the concession stand. Another great improvement to the Gators Softball Complex. GATORS JUMP ON RAMS EARLY The BGMR Gator Softball Team sent 11 people to the plate, had 5 hits and scored 6 runs all in the first inning as the Gators upended the Roseau Rams 10-4. The Gators would cruise along for much of the game until they lost their focus in the fifth inning as the Rams would score 4 runs on 4 Gator errors. BGMR would regain their composure and scored one run in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh to pick up the road victory against an ever improving Ram team. Gator starting pitcher Aunica Novacek went the distance as she gave up 6 hits, 4 runs with only 2 being earned, did not walk a batter and struck out 3. It was a special day for Novacek. In her first at bat she singled up the middle to collect her 100 career hit. A feat that has been previously achieved by only 6 other Gator players. Offensively the Gators blistered the ball early. Brenna Dallager, Taylor Becker and Novacek had 2 hits apiece. Four other Gators managed 1 hit. Defensively however the Gators have continued to lose focus during games and this will obviously be an area of emphasis over the next week. The regular season is quickly coming to an end. The Gators will conclude their home regular season with a game against Sacred Heart tomorrow. The game time has been switched to 6:15 as Sacred Heart and Red Lake County Central will be playing before the Gator and Sacred Heart game. BGMR will travel to Thief River Falls on Friday to close out the regular season. The Gators will face Crookston as the Agassiz Conference will have its first ever conference day. The winner of the bigger school part of the conference and the small school part of the conference will meet in the first ever Agassiz Conference Championship Game. The Gators are still in contention to be a part of that game but face a must win against Sacred Heart tomorrow. Tournament time is just around the corner as it looks like the Gators will open up tournament play on Tuesday at home versus an opponent yet to be determined. Game time will be 5:00. SACRED HEART DOWNS GATORS With the opportunity to play in the conference championship game on the line the Sacred Heart Eagles took advantage of a critical Gator error and proceeded to beat the Gators for the second time within a week by the score of 8-4. After a scoreless first inning Sacred Heart manage to threaten in the second. With runners on second and third Sacred Heart bunted looking to score a run. BGMR was able to get the out on the bunted ball and had the chance to get out of the inning when the Sacred Heart runner from second ran to third. The Gators proceeded to throw to third and as the runner ran back to second BGMR threw the ball out into the outfield and two runs scored. Much to Sacred Hearts credit they tacked on 2 more runs that inning. Going against Sacred Heart ace pitcher Hannah Reimer, 4 runs seemed like 20 for the Gators and it became even worse when the Eagles scored 2 more in the third. BGMR would battle back and score 1 in the third but the Eagles answered that with 1 in the fourth. BGMR would score two in the fifth and could have added more but were unable to get runners in from second and third with nobody out. BGMR made it a 7-4 game with 1 run in the sixth but the Eagles again answered that with 1 in the seventh. Reimer, who had 11 strikeouts would shut the Gators down in the seventh and eliminate the Gators from the first ever Agassiz Conference Championship game. Brenna Dallager had a strong game offensively as she had 2 hits and three RBI’s. Kelli Parnow, Amy Svir and Aunica Novacek also each had one hit. Other than the critical error in the second BGMR was fairly solid on defense. The Eagles however pounded out 10 hits against the Gators and plated 8 runs with 6 of them being earned. Even though they lost the Gators day was not done as they would finish up regular season play with a game against Crookston.GATORS CHOMP PIRATES Coming off a tough loss against the Eagles the BGMR coaching staff was worried about a let-down as the Gators would go against the Crookston Pirates who had 1 win on the year. The coaching staff worries seemed justified as Crookston managed to score a run in the first and loaded the bases. BGMR however was able to get out of the jam allowing only 1 run and preceded to jump all over the Pirates with 4 runs in the first, 4 in the second, 3 in the third and 1 in the fourth. Meanwhile Gator starting pitcher Aunica Novacek would go all 5 innings giving up 1 unearned run, walking 3, and striking out 2. Offensively Emily Anderson paced the Gators with 3 hits. Brenna Dallager also continued her hot hitting with 2 hits. Four other Gators managed 1 hit. With the win the Gators finished the regular season with a 15-5 record. The Gators will have a bye in the first round of the playoffs and will face the winner of Tuesdays Lake of the Woods and Blackduck game. The Gators semifinal game will be at 4:00 on Thursday in Greenbush. The championship game and loser out game will also be on Thursday in Greenbush with start time approximately 30 minutes following the semi-final game. Tournament time is here and the Gators Softball Team hopes that Gator Nation can come out in full force to support this team that is ready to make a deep run in the playoffs.GATOR SOFTBALL WINS SUBSECTION 8A NORTH CHAMPIONSHIP Playing dominating softball for much of the day the BGMR Gators were able to cruise to the championship of Subsection 8A North. The Gators did it in dominating fashion as they posted a 19-3 win over Blackduck and took down Red Lake Falls 15-1 in the championship game.GATORS STRIKE EARLY The BGMR Gators and Blackduck Drakes have not played for quite some time so the subsection semifinal game was virtually a new opponent for both teams. The Gators would strike early and never look back as BGMR would score 5 runs in the first, 1 in the second and posted an 11 run third inning to leave little doubt in this one. Offensively the Gators blasted the ball all over the diamond. Brenna Dallager led the charge as she went 4 for 4. Taylor Becker was 3 for 3 and Aunica Novacek, Emily Anderson, Amy Svir and Hannah Anderson each had 2 hits. For the game the Gators pounded out 17 hits that led to their 19 runs. Gator starting pitcher Julia Stenberg was solid. Stenberg went the distance in the game shorten to 5 innings because of the ten run rule. Stenberg allowed 5 hits, struck out 3 and did not walk a batter. The Gator defense was also sharp as the Gators defense committed 2 errors late in the game. With the win the Gators would move to the subsection championship game where they would take on the familiar foe of Red Lake Falls. The Gators and Eagles would be meeting for the fourth time this year and the Gators were looking to make it a clean sweep.GATORS WIN CHAMPIONSHIP The BGMR Gator Softball Team proved they had their hitting shoes on for the day as the Gators crushed the Red Lake Falls Eagles 15-1 to win the Subsection 8A North Championship. The Gators struck early and often as the Gators used timely hitting and solid bunting to put up 7 runs in the first inning. The Gators would add 4 more in the second. After allowing a solo home run to the Eagles Alexi Olson in the fourth BGMR bounced back with 4 runs in their half of the fourth and held the Eagles in the fifth to win the game via ten run rule. Offensively the Gators were led in hitting by Emily Anderson, Brenna Dallager and Morgan Anderson who each had two hits. 7 others managed to get a hit as the Gators pounded out 13 hits in the game. Aunica Novacek threw a gem of a game against a solid Eagle lineup. Novacek went the distance and game up 1 run on 3 hits, striking out 2 and not walking a batter. The Gators were sharp again on defense as they committed 1 error and made several nice defensive plays. The Gators, Eagles and Blackduck, who won a 16-13 loser out game over Kelliher/Northome, advance to the Section 8A tournament which begins on Tuesday in Red Lake Falls. The Gators will play the south champion, Sacred Heart Eagles, with game time set for 6:00. The Gators will be looking for some revenge as the Eagles have beaten the Gators twice this year. It should be a great Section Tournament with some outstanding teams ready to do battle. GATORS ADVANCE TO SECTION CHAMPIONSHIP GAME For the seventh time in the last eight years the BGMR Gator Softball Team will be playing in the Section 8A title game as the Gators upended the Sacred Heart Eagles 5-0 in section semifinal play. The Gators road their strong defense and solid pitching of Aunica Novacek to advance to the championship game where the Gators will have to lose twice to be eliminated. The Gators played error free defense and Novacek threw a complete game shutout to advance the Gators. Novacek struck out five, allowed 2 hits and walked two. Offensively the Gators had a solid game against Sacred Heart ace Hannah Reimer. Reimer struck out 11 Gators but BGMR managed 8 hits and made the most out of those hits scoring 5 runs. Offensively the Gators were led by Brenna Dallager, Morgan Anderson and Kellie Parnow who each had 2 hits. Gracei Gullikson and Emily Anderson also managed key hits for the Gators. With the win the Gators have secured a spot in the section championship game. The Gators will take on the winner of Sacred Heart and Norman County East-Ulen Hitterdal with the Gator game starting at 4:00 in Red Lake Falls. Whoever the Gators play will need to beat the Gators twice with a state tournament berth on the line. Three strong teams are still standing in Section 8A and Thursday should be a great day of softball. The Gators will need to play their best if they want to win the trip to Mankato.GATOR SEASON CONTINUES For the sixth time in school history the BGMR Gator Softball team advanced to the state tournament with a 12-7 victory over the Sacred Heart Eagles. The Gators used a 7 run fifth inning to blow open a close game and held off a battling Sacred Heart team to secure the trip to Mankato. BGMR opened the game with two runs in the first. The Eagles would bounce back with two runs in the second but BGMR would regain the in the fourth when Kellie Parnow would hit a two out run scoring single. The Gators would send 11 people to the plate in the fifth as the Gators were able to take advantage of two Eagle errors and two walks. With the Gators leading 10-2 Sacred Heart would not go away as they scored 4 runs in the sixth. BGMR was able to tack on 2 insurance runs in their half of the sixth and limited the Eagles to 1 run in the seventh as the celebration began when second baseman Gracei Gullikson threw to first baseman Morgan Anderson to record the final out of the game. Defensively the Gators had a couple costly mistakes but were extremely sharp otherwise. Gator starting pitcher Aunica Novacek went the distance as she went all seven innings giving up 7 runs (2 earned), allowing 6 hits and striking out 3. The magnitude of the game was evident as Novacek uncharacteristically walked 5. Offensively several Gators had strong at bats. Taylor Becker, Morgan Anderson, and Hannah Anderson each had 2 hits for the Gators. Novacek, Brenna Dallager and Parnow also contributed a hit a piece. Offensively the Gators also continued to have a strong bunting game that put pressure on the Eagle defense and led to several Eagle mistakes. With the win the Gators will now advance to the state tournament which takes place in Mankato on Thursday and Friday. The Gators will be having their awards night and a community pep rally in Greenbush on Tuesday starting at 5:30. We hope that Gator Nation can be in attendance to honor this fine team. BGMR will leave for Mankato on Wednesday, attend the tournament banquet on Wednesday night, and get ready for tournament play on Thursday. The Gators will take on a strong Rush City team at 1:00 on Thursday. Win or lose the Gators will play again at 7:00 on Thursday against either Cherry or New York Mills. In order to play on Friday the Gators will have to win at least one game on Thursday. The Gator girls hope that Gator Nation can take time out of their busy schedule to travel to Mankato and show Minnesota softball what Gator Nation is all about! The Gators would like to take this time to thank the Peterson family for providing drinks, yogurts and snacks after the tournament games. Also thanks to all those people who have been setting things up to make the trip to Mankato a memorable one for the girls.What a RideGator Softball Finishes as State Runner UpThe wind was calm on a June 4 night under the lights at Caswell Park in North Mankato. Taylor Becker stepped to the plate and hit a line drive to center field and Emily Anderson rounded third and headed home. Gator fans cheered from the stands and behind the outfield fences. Gator softball players ran onto the field to greet Anderson and jump into the arms of other teammates. The Gators had just claimed a 10-0 victory in six innings over New York Mills in a Class A state softball tournament semifinal to advance to the first state tournament final in BGMR softball history.Earlier in the day, the Gators defeated Rush City in a tournament quarterfinal game 11-1 in five innings. The semifinal victory over New York Mills advanced the Gators to the finals versus a familiar foe in its softball state tournament history, the New Life Academy of Woodbury Eagles, on June 5. The Gators fell behind the Eagles early and continued to battle, but fell by a 9-3 final to finish as the Class A state runner-up. “(They’re) a special group. They really deserved it. They worked hard. (They’re) a fun team to coach and again it’s tough to break them apart,” said Head Coach Kent Christian following his team’s final 2015 state tournament game.In the section tournament, the Gators outscored their opponents 51-11 and brought those hot bats and solid defense and pitching to Mankato in their opening round game versus Rush City, the section five champion.In the bottom of the second inning, Gracei Gullikson hit a double down the right field line to get the Gators on the board and give them a 1-0 lead. They opened the game up in the bottom of the third inning, bunting, hitting the ball all over the field, and running the bases aggressively to score six runs. Brenna Dallager’s two-RBI single and Kellie Parnow’s two-RBI double highlighted the inning. The Gators tacked on two runs in the fourth courtesy of a Taylor Becker RBI double and Morgan Anderson RBI single. Leading 9-0 in the top of the fifth, the Gators surrendered their only run of the game on a RBI single by Rush City’s Kelly Swenson. The Gators escaped any further damage and secured the victory via the ten run rule following Dallager’s RBI single and Morgan Anderson’s RBI sacrifice fly. Gator starting senior pitcher, Aunica Novacek surrendered just the one run on three hits and two walks, while striking out four. “I thought she (Aunica) was throwing really well and to be honest with you our defense was top of the line,” Christian said. (We) turned a couple nice double plays and basically Aunica let her defense do the work.”Christian added that catcher Hannah Anderson called a nice game.Offensively, four Gators recorded two hits, including Dallager, Morgan Anderson, Gracei Gullikson, and Kellie Parnow.Before the Gator’s semifinal game versus New York Mills, section six champion, Coach Christian noticed something about his team and addressed it. “I told them before the game that I didn’t think that they were ready to play,” Christian said. “I said prove me wrong and I challenged them a little bit and boy they sure did prove me wrong.” After two and half innings of play, both teams remained at a scoreless tie, but in the bottom of the third inning, the Gator bats came to life and took advantage of some New York Mills’ miscues. Parnow led the inning off with a single down the right field line and advanced to third after the right fielder misplayed the ball. It appeared that New York Mills would escape the inning following two infield pop outs, but Novacek came to the plate and hit an RBI single to left to get the Gators on the board. The Gators added three more runs with two outs in the inning to take a 4-0 lead. In the bottom the fourth, the Gators picked up five runs courtesy of seven hits. Gullikson led off the inning with a single, and senior Parnow stepped to the plate and delivered one of the most memorable hits in Gator softball history. She lined the ball to left center and over the fence for a home run. Gators fans and players screamed and the players ran to home plate to greet their teammate. “She pounded that one out of the yard and it really got the girls excited,” said Christian. The Gators added three more runs in the inning, highlighted by Dallager and Morgan Anderson RBI singles to take a 9-0 lead.Both teams went scoreless in the fifth, but the Gators secured the semifinal victory via the ten run rule following Becker’s double to center in the sixth. Novacek had another stellar performance from the circle, keeping New York Mills batters off balance the entire game with her off speed pitches. She held them scoreless, while surrendering just two hits and striking out four. “They (New York Mills) are a good-hitting team. (Assistant Coach Dave) Blazek and I kind of looked at each other in the first inning and she had a full count and threw a changeup and stuck the girl out,” said Christian. “That’s something we’ve been preaching to her all year and she did it.”Offensively, Novacek, Parnow and Emily Anderson led the Gators, each recording two hits.This emotional victory advanced the Gators into the state finals versus the New Life Academy Eagles. Gator Nation should remember the Eagles well. In a 2010 state semifinal matchup, the Gators fell to the Eagles in an epic battle, losing 1-0 in nine innings. Coach Christian looked for a little payback for this loss as he and his team headed into the state championship.“We’re going to have to play really, really well. We’re going against a perennial power, but we’re up to the challenge,” Christian said following the semifinal victory. The fans on both sides cheered loudly as both teams battled it out for Minnesota high school softball’s highest honor. Both teams went scoreless in the first, but it wouldn’t take long for the game to see some action. Trailing 1-0 in the top of the second, starting pitcher Aunica Novacek pitched to eighth grader Elena Linster. Novacek would watch Linster spank the ball over the fence for a two run home run; the Gators trailed 3-0. Linster had the game of her life against the Gators, hitting another two-run home run, this time in the fourth, to lead her team’s high-powered offensive attack. The Gators surrendered three runs in the fifth to trail 7-0, but their bats responded in the bottom of the sixth.With runners at second and third and no one out, Brenna Dallager ripped a two-RBI double past the third basemen to cut the deficit to five. Morgan Anderson later brought Dallager home on a groundout; the Gators trailed 7-3 after six. The Gators allowed the Eagles to respond in the top of the seventh with two runs courtesy of a two-out triple, and went quietly in the bottom half of the inning to fall by the 9-3 final. “Trying to play catch up against that team is pretty tough to do. I like the way we battled,” said Christian.Novacek took the loss for the Gators, surrendering seven runs in five innings. On the other side, pitcher Valerie Hohol held the potent Gator offense in check, striking out 10 in seven innings, while surrendering just the three runs and five hits. Despite the loss, Christian and the Gators will surely never forget the memories they made not only at the state tournament, but also throughout the season. Speaking of endings, Christian acknowledged how much he would miss his seniors, including Novacek, Parnow, Morgan Anderson, and Nadja Melby. Besides the state runner up finish, the Gators also took home other honors. Novacek, Parnow, and Emily Anderson were named to the Class A All-Tournament team.Congrats to the entire Gator team and coaching staff for working hard together to complete an historic season. They not only represented their communities with pride, but also provided Gator Nation, including those listening on their radios and those watching at Caswell Park, with memories that will last well beyond that June 4 night in Mankato. Go Gators! ................
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