Staff
Dana Ward helped the Fort Frances Her-icanes stay ahead of the pack.
Ward smashed an inside-the-park home run to lead off the game as part of a 14-8 victory over the Northwest Bay Beavers in Rainy River District Women’s Fastball League East Division action Monday evening at VanJura.
International Falls pitcher Marissa Kenny, who starred for the Bronco girls’ softball team this spring, stymied a Beavers’ team that came into the game having scored 160 runs–second most in the RRDWFL this season.
Kenny’s work on the rubber gave the defending champs (11-1) their sixth-straight win.
Darcy Smith took the loss for fifth-place Northwest Bay (5-5-2), which now has dropped two-straight.
Elsewhere in East Division play, the Fort Frances Mud Dogs routed the Fort Frances Angels 20-6.
Rachelle Yeo pitched her way to a league-best eighth win for the third-place Mud Dogs (9-3) while Rylee Redford was tagged with the loss for the ninth-place Angels (3-8).
Meanwhile, the fourth-place Red Gut Babes (8-3-1) stretched their unbeaten string to eight games with a 14-8 win over the Couchiching Lady Raiders.
Reigning league MVP Tracy Morningstar bested Courtney Easton and the Lady Raiders, who slipped to seventh place overall (5-6-1).
In the West Division, pitcher Mykenzie Borger was on her game for the second-straight start as she led the Emo Renegades to a 19-6 victory over the Sabaskong Tebinaak.
The young right-hander put to use some new tricks learned at a pitching clinic in Baudette, Mn. over the weekend as she struck out a season-high eight Tebinaak batters.
Offensively, Sam Jibb scored five runs while Grace Bragg cracked a two-run triple for the eighth-place Renegades (4-8).
Tebinaak starter Jarrah Tom lasted just three innings before being replaced by Angela Copenace for last-place Sabaskong (1-11), which now has dropped eight-straight games.
The other West game saw 10th-place Manitou (2-10) give the second-place Big Grassy Lynx (8-1-3) all they could handle before escaping with an 18-17 win.
Candace Handorgan topped Bev Cochrane in the mound showdown.
The sixth-place Dawson Tigers (5-5-1) had the bye.
Five games are on the schedule tonight starting at 7 p.m., including the Mud Dogs hosting Red Gut at the St. Francis Sports Field.
The ‘Canes will visit Couchiching while the Angels are in Northwest Bay in the other East Division action.
In the West, Manitou faces host Dawson while Big Grassy heads to Sabaskong.
Emo has the bye.
