Softball team wins sixth straight

• Gracie Bruzek

Photo by Travis Lang/tlangphoto.com Alexandria’s Gracie Bruzek scooped up a ground ball during Saturday’s tournament competition in the Alexandria Invitational. The Cardinals were runners-up.

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The Cardinal softball team picked up its sixth straight victory as they defeated St. Cloud Tech on the road Thursday afternoon 5-2, moving them to 6-2 in Central Lakes Conference action.

The Redbirds saw three of their five runs come home on RBI groundouts, and Alexandria sparkled on defense, holding the Tigers to just four hits in the game.

“Shenae Morical really did a great job catching,” said Cardinal coach Bob Cunniff. “She threw out two runners trying to steal second.

“Our defense did a great job, especially the right side of the field. Kate Gearman made a couple of nice catches for us, and Courtney Richardson played really tough at first base.”

The Cardinals quickly got on the board as they scored two runs in the top of the first as Gearman walked, stole second, then scored on a double by Richardson.

Richardson also crossed home on a ground out by Morical.

In the second, the Cards added what would be the deciding run as Gracie Bruzek singled, later scoring on a single by Sam Dale.

After St. Cloud Tech closed the gap to 3-2 with a pair of runs in the third, Alexandria added a run in the fourth on a single by Bruzek, who scored on Gearman’s RBI ground out, and another in the seventh as Morical tripled, then came home on a ground out by Alicia Montbriand.

“We played really well again,” said Cunniff. “The whole team played very solid in the field.”

Dani Bany went the distance, allowing just two runs while striking out five.

Bruzek, Richardson and Ally Teclaw had two hits apiece.

The Cardinals will be hosting Willmar tomorrow, Thursday at 5 p.m.

GAME SCORECARD

ALEXANDRIA 210 100 1 5-9-1

SC TECH 002 000 0 2-4-1

PITCHING – Dani Bany, WP, 7IP-4H-2R-1ER, 1BB-5SO.

HITTING – Gracie Bruzek 2hits, 2 runs; Courtney Richardson 2 hits, 1 run, 1 rbi; Ally Teclaw 2 hits, 1 rbi; Shenae Morical 1 hit, 1 run; Kate Gearman 1 hit, 1 run, 1 rbi; Sam Dale 1 hit,1 rbi; Alicia Montbirand 1 rbi.

Tags: alexandria sports, sports, softball, cardinals, st, cloud, tech