The Clarksville softball team launched two grand slams, and defeated St. Edmond 11-3 in five innings in Wednesday’s 1A semifinal game, as aired on 99 The Wave. It advanced the program to its first championship game appearance since 2020.
Trailing 1-0 after the first half inning, the bats came alive in the bottom of the first. Paige Kampman and Hannah Wangsness each drove in runs, followed by Kara Bohlen blasting the first grand slam of the game out of the park.
Both offenses quieted for the next three innings, and Clarksville spotted the Gaels two runs in the fifth. In the bottom of the inning, Cate Lodge singled to drive in a run, and Claire Lodge came to the plate with the bases loaded.
It was the second walk-off win by the Indians in as many nights after Tuesday’s eight-inning thriller. Claire Lodge on her approach in the final at-bat.
“Going into that, I was not swinging at the first pitch, that was my goal because the last two I popped them up,” Lodge says. “So I was like no not gonna do it, just find something better than that one and just get on base. That was my goal, and it went a little better than that.”
Head Coach Katie Burman on containing a St. Edmond team that entered with the best batting average in Class 1A.
“I think last night’s game was just kind of us settling in and figuring out our place here,” Burman says. “And then tonight, these girls came to get it. We’ve been scouting this St. Edmond team all day, and I think coming into this, we were definitely not overlooking them. They’re such a good team, good defense, good hitting, and we knew that we had to get on our bats to able to beat them, and they came out swinging very well.”
The team racked up 12 hits and Sydney Lovrien gave up just three to the Gaels.
They’ll take on top-seeded Wayne in Friday’s 1A championship game at 7:30 p.m. on 99 The Wave.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPtrs9JXeqI?si=DPwd97bgDyJGjj9A&w=560&h=315]
