GRAFTON- For a second consecutive season, the Carrington Cardinals stunned the Grafton Spoilers in the postseason, this time 7-6 on the road at the Region II Tournament host on Saturday.
After an error scored Isabel Wendel and Kaydence Van Ray in the top of the first inning for an early 2-0 Cardinals lead, the Spoilers responded with single runs in the first and third to tie the game at 2-2. It stayed that way until the decisive fifth inning.
Wendel singled and Van Ray walked before Calleigh Hewitt hit a fly ball to right that was dropped by Emma Johner, allowing two runs to score. Brynn Smith then singled home Hewitt for a 5-2 lead.
Grafton would get a three-run double with two outs in the seventh to cut the lead to 7-6, but Hewitt got Reese Olson to pop out to short and the upset was complete.
With the win, Carrington advances to face Thompson on Monday at 3:00 PM on KDAK The Cardinal. With a win against the Tommies, the Cardinals would advance to the programs first ever Regional Final. With a loss, they would play at 5:30 PM Monday against the loser of May-Port CG and Pembina Co. North in an elimination game.