Posted: Mar 24, 2022

RRCC softball leading MCAC North

STAFF REPORT

The Rainy River Community College Voyageur softball season is officially underway.

The Voyageurs are currently 3-5 and in first place in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference Northern Division.

The Voyageurs open MCAC Northern Division play on April 6 at the synthetic turf outdoor softball field at Mesabi East High School in Aurora. Games are scheduled for 10 a.m. and noon. 

After Week 1, two Voyageur women softball players received honors: Presley Frost was selected as the Minnesota College Athletic Conference Northern Division Pitcher of the Week and Jordan Cobbe was selected as the MCAC Northern Division Player of the Week.

The Voyageurs March 24 and March 25 competed at the Minnesota Classic held at the M Fairview Health Dome in Blaine, reported RRCC Voyageurs Softball Coach Dieter Humbert.

March 24

Game 1 featured the Voyageurs opposing nationally ranked St. Cloud Community and Technical College from the MCAC Southern Division.

St. Cloud prevailed in that game 9-0 in five innings. Frost took the loss resulting in her pitching record standing at 1-2. She pitched 5 innings, faced 30 batters, allowed 14 hits, 9 runs, 5 earned runs and 1 hit batter. The Voyageurs could generate just 2 hits, 1 each from Val Sandoval and Arcadya Conway. Vivien Aguilera had 6 putouts. 

Game 2 saw the Voyageurs matched up against MCAC Northern Division rival Itasca Community College of Grand Rapids.

The Vikings edged the Voyageurs in the non-division contest 7-2. Frost took the loss resulting in her pitching record falling to 1-3.  She faced 36 batters in 7 innings, allowed 15 hits, 3 walks, 7 runs, 4 earned runs and 1 strikeout. Leading hitters were Sofia Bills with 2 hits and 1 run scored. Frost went 1-3 with an RBI. Cobbe went 1-3 with a run scored and Sandoval went 1-3 with an RBI. Aguilera had 14 putouts. 

Game 3 saw the Voyageurs erupt offensively as they put up 16 runs on 17 hits. Frost got the win, increasing her record to 2-3. She pitched 3-2/3 innings facing 13 batters, allowing 2 hits and earning 2 strikeouts.

Sandoval led the way at the plate going 4-4 with 3 runs scored, a triple and 3 RBI. Frost went 3-4 with 3 runs scored, 3 RBI and hit her second home run on the season, a 3-run blast. Cobbe also hit a 3-run home run while going 2-4, 3 runs scored and 4 RBI. Sofia Bills continued her hot hitting going 3-4, 3 runs scored and an RBI. Kaydin Bruner went 2-4, 1 run scored, with 2 doubles and 4 RBI. Rounding out the offensive parade was Kayla Townsend who went 2-4 with 1 run scored and a double. Cobbe had 11 putouts.

March 25

Game 1 featured the Voyageurs opening up with a 10-2, 6 inning victory over MCAC Southern Division Ridgewater Community College. Frost got the win evening her record at 3-3. She pitched 6 innings, faced 25 batters, allowed 7 hits, 1 walk, 2 runs, 2 earned runs and tallied 6 strikeouts.

Leading hitters were Bills going 3-4 with 1 run scored and 2 RBI. Frost went 2-3 with 2 runs scored, hit her third home run of the season and had 3 RBI. Townsend went 2-3 with 2 runs scored, 1 walk, 1 double and an RBI. Bruner went 1-2 with a sacrifice. Sandoval went 1-3 with a run scored, a double and an RBI. Aguilera led the way with 8 putouts. 

Game 2, the last game of the day and Minnesota Classic, saw the Voyageurs run into a hot hitting Anoka Ramsey Community College team from the MCAC Southern Division. The final score was 13-0 in 5 innings.

The losing pitcher was Bruner, who is now 0-2 on the season. She competed hard as she pitched 4 innings while facing 32 batters, allowing 17 hits, 1 walk, 13 runs, 8 earned runs while striking out 1. The Voyageurs tallied only 2 hits, 1 each by Bills and Bruner. Both Townsend and Frost had 3 putouts. 

Season start

The Voyageurs initiated the season by traveling to Titusville, Fla., where they were able to play only three of their eight originally scheduled games at the Chain of Lakes complex. 

Game 1: 7-4 rain shortened, five inning victory over Minnesota State-Fergus Falls. The Voyageurs were led by Frost earning her first collegiate victory in a Rainy River uniform. Her record improved to 1-0 as Presley pitched five innings allowing 7 hits, 3 walks, 4 runs, 1 earned run and had 6 strikeouts. Townsend led the way offensively going 2-3 with 2 runs scored, a double and 2 RBI. Cobbe also went 2-2 with 2 runs scored and an RBI. Conway went 2-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Frost went 1-2 with an RBI. Cobbe and Aguilera each had 6 putouts. Sandoval had 2 putouts and 4 assists. 
Game 2 versus Alpena Community College, an NJCAA Division II Community College from Michigan, the Voyageurs were handed their first defeat of the season by a score of 10-3. Frost took the loss, evening her record at 1-1. She pitched 7 innings, allowing 12 hits, 2 walks, 10 runs, 6 earned runs as well as earning 5 strikeouts. Frost led the way at the plate going 2-3 with 1 run scored, 3 RBI and her first career home run. Bills went 1-3 with one run scored. Aguilera went 1-2 and had 9 putouts and Bruner had 2 putouts with 6 assists. 
Game 3 against Southeastern, an NJCAA Division I team from Iowa. The Voyageurs found the Northeastern team to be a formidable opponent and lost 21-0 in 5 innings. Bruner took the loss giving her a record of 0-1. She allowed 5 hits, 6 runs and 5 earned runs. Sandoval and Frost both pitched in relief. The Voyageurs produced 2 hits, 1 each from Bruner and Bills.