Blooming Prairie Awesome Blossoms softball team felled by USC 11-1 in 6 innings Tuesday

It was a battle of state-ranked girls fastpitch softball teams in Wells Tuesday as the Blooming Prairie Awesome Blossoms, ranked No. 3 in the state in Class A in the latest poll from the Minnesota Fastpitch Coach’s Association took on the No. 4 ranked Rebels of United South Central in the Gopher Conference, and it was the Rebels plating six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to win via the 10-run rule, 11-1.

Pitcher Macy Lembke led off the game with a hit and later scored to give the Blossoms a 1-0 lead after a half-inning, but senior pitcher Mariah Anderson was overpowering the rest of the way, and the USC offense responded with one run in the bottom of the first, three in the third and one in the fifth to take a 5-1 lead before their 6-run blitzkrieg in the bottom of the sixth invoked the 10-run rule.

Besides Lembke, the only other hits for the Blossoms in the game were provided by Rachel Winzenburg, who was 1 for 2 with a double, and by leftfielder Madelyn Harvey, who was also 1 for 2.  Anderson picked up the win in the circle for the Rebels by giving up just the one run, which was unearned, on three hits, striking out 12 and walking two in six innings of work, while Lembke gave up the 11 USC runs, eight earned, on 10 hits, striking out four and walking five in 5 and 1/3rds of an inning of work.

With the loss, the Blossoms are now 11-3 overall on the season, and Blooming Prairie returns to action at home Thursday versus Bethlehem Academy in the Gopher Conference, with first pitch scheduled for 4:30 p.m.