Walk-off victory keeps Falcons softball in section hunt

By the skin of their teeth, the Foley Falcons softball team are moving on in the Section 6AA tournament.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning and the bases loaded, Ruby Duevel hustled down the line to beat out a throw to first base, sending the Falcons to a walk-off 2-1 win over Eden Valley-Watkins in the first round of the elimination bracket May 21 at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph.

“It’s super exciting,” Ruby Duevel said. “I’m shocked at how well this team has bonded together and came to this conclusion.”

In their third game of the postseason after advancing past the first round for the first time in over 15 years, the Falcons got off to a hot start. Amelia Duevel earned her way aboard with a one-out single in the first inning and sped home on a double by Ruby Duevel in the next at-bat.

However, the scoring well dried remarkably after that, with EVW mustering its lone run in the fourth on a triple, a passed ball and a Foley error. That was not a problem for the Falcons, who are getting used to playing in defensive-minded, nail-biting affairs following a 3-2 loss to Melrose in the second round and a 1-0 victory over Pillager in their playoff opener.

“I’m comfortable because I know as a team, we all usually get better hitting as the game goes on,” Ruby Duevel said. … “With lower-scoring games, I honestly feel more confident.”

Both pitchers excelled in the do-or-die matchup, with EVW’s Kamryn Mathies and Foley’s Lainey Gill combining to allow only 11 hits combined while pitching the entire game.

After struggling for a few innings offensively, Foley finally generated another scoring threat in the seventh. Lindy Peschl hit a blooper to the outfield that was dropped by EVW’s outfield before Lucy Rau hit into a fielder’s choice, advancing to second on a throwing error. Bre Rajkowski bounced a short ground ball in the infield, with Rau attempting to take third and narrowly getting there safely.

With contact being the emphasis, Atley Gruba also dribbled a grounder, making it to first as Rau and Rajkowski stayed put in scoring position. Amelia Duevel hit a line drive that was speared by EVW’s second baseman, setting the stage for a high-pressure at-bat for Ruby Duevel, who raced to first as quickly as she could on a groundball to bring home the game-deciding run.

“I saw the ball had a weird spin, so I was like, ‘I have to get to first, I have to get there,’” Ruby Duevel said.

Foley will play again in the elimination bracket quarterfinals against an undetermined opponent at 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 26, in St. Joseph.