COON RAPIDS — The Rochester Raiders came to the state tournament ready to hit.
They played some stingy defense, too.
The Raiders put together a complete effort on Friday in an opening-round game of the adapted softball state tournament at Coon Rapids High School. They pounded out 14 hits, limited their opponent to just four and played errorless ball in an 11-1, five-inning victory against Mounds View/Irondale/Roseville.
The victory lifts Rochester (10-2) into today's 10:30 a.m. semifinal game against Wayzata/Minnetonka (6-3). The winner of that game will play in the state championship game at 1:45 p.m. against the winner of the other semifinal, Anoka/Hennepin or Dakota United.
Rochester, the No. 1 seed from the South Division, scored two runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead for good. The Raiders tacked on five more in the second and led 8-1 after three innings. They scored three more in the fourth and didn't have to bat in the bottom of the fifth, ending the game by 10-run rule.
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Junior outfielder Sean Healy led Rochester at the plate, going 3-for-3 with three runs scored. Joshua Befort, a senior outfielder, also had three hits for the Raiders.
Olivia Pittman led Mounds View/Irondale/Roseville with two of its four hits.
August Williams earned the pitching victory for Rochester, with Hannah Oakley as his battery-mate.
The Raiders will meet Wayzata/Minnetonka for the first time this season in today's semifinals.
Rochester 11, MV/I/R 1
Mounds View/Irondale/Roseville#100#00#—#1#4#0
Rochester#251#3x#—#11#14#0
