After surrendering 29 runs in a doubleheader with Bismarck to start the season, the Devils Lake softball team has gotten things on track.
The Firebirds beat Fargo South 11-5 in their home opener on April 9, then went and beat Fargo North 7-6 three days later. The latest win brought their record to 2-2 ahead of a week where they’ll play three games.
Calin Boline was the star in the home opener, giving Devils Lake a complete-game effort on the mound and three hits at the plate. She kept rolling in the second victory of the season, and largely made the difference in the final result.
Boline recorded four hits out of the five-spot in the order. She had four RBIs, including the go-ahead single in the top of the eighth. The game went an extra inning after the Spartans tied it with two in the bottom of the seventh, but Boline stayed in for all eight innings on the mound as well.
Fargo North initially took a 3-0 lead in the second, getting a two-run triple and a run-scoring single. Devils Lake responded with four in the third, as Boline and Ava Beck each singled with the bases loaded. Taylor Leben was hit by a pitch to keep the rally going, giving the Firebirds a 4-3 lead.
A solo homer tied the game back up. But Boline once again gave Devils Lake the lead in the fourth, following walks from Tylie Brodina and Julia McIvor. The Firebirds led 6-4 — an advantage they maintained all the way until there were two outs in the seventh.
Three consecutive two-out hits for Fargo North tied the game. Devils Lake was so close, but couldn’t nail down the final out to win in regulation.
Brodina got things started in the eighth inning with a single. She moved to second on a passed ball, then advanced to third on a McIvor sacrifice bunt. Boline recorded an infield hit to the shortstop, giving Devils Lake the lead it would eventually hold on to.
Boline recorded the final three outs in stress-free fashion, getting a groundout to shortstop McIvor sandwiched by a pair of flyouts to center fielder Brodina. She walked two and struck out four on the day.
The Firebirds were scheduled to play another game on Tuesday against Valley City, but it was postponed to April 26. The Firebirds are also slated to play Fargo Davies on Tuesday and Shanley on Thursday. That’s three games in the next four days.
So it’ll be a busy week for Devils Lake softball, and one that will test its resilience. But the Firebirds already swung their momentum in the right direction with two straight wins — especially the second one, where they blew multiple leads and had to come back.
Now it’s time for them to build off that, and keep this success going.
