Softball sinks Skippers, prepares for sections

The Hopkins Royals softball team won their last regular season game of the year over the Minnetonka Skippers by a score of 5-2. This game was also senior night for the Royals.

The game was originally scheduled for 4:15 PM but got moved up to 3:30 PM because of thunderstorms that were supposed to happen in the evening.

Earlier in the season the Royals lost to the Skippers 2-1 in a tight, extra-innings game, making this game even more important for the Royals’ team morale and confidence.

In the first inning, the Skippers scored one run before starting pitcher Kirsten Magaard, senior, was able to get out of the inning. When the Royals came up, Natalie DenHartog, junior, hit a RBI double and MaKenzie Merritt, senior, hit a three-run home run to make the score 4-1.

After Merritt’s home run, the game was postponed as the heavy rain created large puddles in various places on the field. However, as the rains died down, Royal coaches Mark Peterson, Carl Yancey, and John DenHartog, worked to drain the puddles and put the team back in action.

The game resumed at about 4:40 p.m. and played until completion.

Merritt finished the game out strong, hitting another home run in the third inning, and coming in to pitch for the Royals in the sixth. Morgan Hawley, sophomore, also had two clutch plays in right field, including a diving catch to help the Royals get out of a tight inning.

“We had great defense and we didn’t get rattled when they scored some runs,” said Parker Stoddard, sophomore, first baseman. “We played our game.”

The Royals finished their season with a record of 11-7 and earned the top seed in the sectional tournament. They face the Wayzata Trojans tonight at 4:15 PM in the opening round of the sectional tournament.