The Raiders finished a three-game road trip where they outscored their opponents 18-1. April 21, they took down Hill-Murray 4-0, Apr. 22, they defeated South St. Paul 3-1 and after a few days off, they went to Simley on Apr. 25 and skunked the Spartans 11-0.
“This week, what stood out most was how the girls really came together as a team. This time of the season has its challenges - when we play more days in the week than we practice. Most of the learning and growing has to happen without an opportunity to practice in between games. So, in the minimal time we have to practice, it's imperative they zone in. They pushed each other to be better every day and their energy and focus in practices and games were incredible. Watching them support one another and raise the standard for our program made me really proud,” said head coach Becca Sorenson.
Hastings had total control of each game this week. At Hill-Murray, they did the right things to score a run in four of the seven innings played. Haley Strain continued to exert her will on the mound and the defense played nearly perfectly to keep the Pioneers off the scoreboard.
Offensively, Sienna McCoy was 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored and one walk, Leighton Robinson went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Strain also had a 2-for-4 performance with 2 RBIs. Defensively, Strain struck out 10 while allowing 3 hits.
The domination continued into the South St. Paul game under the lights of Kaposia Field. Strain, McCoy, Lilly Watts and Lauren Meyer all had two hits, Addie Seleski, Robinson and Clare Reider each had a hit with Seleski, Reider and Meyer each tallying an RBI. Hastings logged 11 hits in the 3-1 win. Strain allowed 4 hits with 12 strikeouts.
The week culminated with a very fast, 11-0 thumping of Simley.
The Raiders put together a strong offensive performance, racking up 10 hits and 11 runs to secure the win. Haley Strain paced the team with three hits and three RBIs, while Leighton Robinson added a hit and drove in two runs. Clare Reider, Lauren Meyer, and Lily Watts each tallied a hit and an RBI, keeping the pressure on the opposing defense. Sienna McCoy and Ella Carlson also contributed hits, helping Hastings capitalize on their opportunities. Patient at the plate, the Raiders drew four walks and limited strikeouts to just two, showing a balanced and disciplined approach throughout the game. In total, eight Raiders had hits with six players adding RBIs to their stat line, including a two-run bomb over centerfield from Strain in the fourth inning.
When asked about anyone doing something exceptional on or off the field, Sorenson said, “I have to shout out how their effort, focus and energy is paying off. In the last 33 innings, we've given up 2 runs defensively. This comes from a combination of rockstar pitching by Haley Strain, and consistently solid defense from the rest of our team. Haley knows that when she steps on the mound, she can count on her team to have her back, which gives her more versatility pitching to batters. Whether we're talking about the starters or players who come off the bench and play a few innings in the field, all of them have contributed to that statistic. Exceptional work all the way around.”
Two runs in 33 innings is very impressive, but over nine games, the Raiders have scored 67 runs an average of 7.44 per game while allowing only 14 runs, an average of 1.55 per game. They have won four games by 10 runs or more of the seven wins this season. This team is incredible and fun to watch.
Up Next
The girls host Woodbury on Apr. 29 then Mahtomedi on Apr. 30 for Parents Night. Both games are scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. with parents’ night festivities starting around 4:00 p.m. May 1 they head to Tartan and on May 2 the road trip heads to Two Rivers, both of those are at 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 3, the venue switches a little for the girls to host a night game at Vets Park. They host South St. Paul at 6:00 p.m. The busy week returns to the 4:30 p.m. start time on May 5 at North St. Paul and then back home on May 7 against Hill-Murray.