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Pioneers Move to Championship Round; Fall to Dawson on 7th Inning Walk Off

Pioneers Move to Championship Round; Fall to Dawson on 7th Inning Walk Off
Posted: May 03, 2026

Game 1 - Pioneers 6... Dakota County Tech 2

The MCC Pioneers avenged an earlier in the tournament loss to DCTC and moved to the championship round with a 6-2 win on Saturday in Rosemount, MN. The Pioneers took the brunt of a 3-2 loss to the Blue Knights on Thursday and battled all the way back to reach the Region XIII final. 

MCC scored all the runs they would need in the bottom of the 1st inning by plating 3 runs. With one out, Emily Robins (CF - Rexburg, ID), Rylynn Krein (DP - Fergus Falls, MN), and Brooke Schaffer (3B - Missoula, MT) all singled to give MCC a 1-0 lead. With 2 outs, Liz Cunningham (RF - Polson, MT) doubled to bring in 2 more runs for a 3-0 lead. 

The Pioneers would add a run in the 3rd inning on a RBI single from Paityn Ralphs (1B - Ammon, ID) that plated Krein who started the inning off with a double. The lead grew to 6-0 in the 5th inning when Brylee Lowell (LF - Columbus, MT) hit a 2 RBI triple. 

The Blue Knights would get 2 runs in the 6th inning but it would not be enough to keep the Pioneers out of the championship. 

Krein, Schaffer, Cunningham, Ralphs, and Adrie Mortensen (C - Rexburg, ID) all had 2 hits for MCC.

Harley Brown (2 Great Falls, MT) got the start and pitched 5.1 solid innings (7 H, 2 R, BB, 2 SO) and Krein pitched the final 1.2 innings (2 H, BB, 2 SO). 

Inside the Box Score

  • The Pioneers had 13 hits (3B, 2 2B) and the Blue Knights had 9 hits (2B).
  • MCC had the only error in the game. 
  • Pioneer batters stuck out once. 
  • DCTC batters struck out 4 times and walked twice.

 

Game 2 - Pioneers 4... Dawson 5 (Region XIII Championship)

Dawson CC scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 7th inning to rally from a 4-3 deficit to win the Region XIII title 5-4 over the MCC Pioneers. 

Dawson scored a run in the 1st inning and that scored would hold up until the 5th inning when the Pioneers would take a 3-1 lead. Brylee Lowell and Adrie Mortensen had back to back singles to kick off the top of the 5th inning. A bunt from Malory Webb (SS - Idaho Falls, ID) loaded the bases. Emily Robins singled to drive in 2 runs. Brooke Schaffer singled to drive in Webb for the final run of an inning that had more potential than the 3 runs MCC scored. 

Dawson scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 6th inning to tie the game at 3-3 and MCC would follow that with a run in the 7th inning for a 4-3 lead. Liz Cunningham was hit by a pitch with 2 outs and was replaced on the base paths by Sarah Koskela (Thompson Falls, MT). Koskela moved to 2nd on a wild pitch and scored on a single from Paityn Ralphs. 

The Pioneers could not force a deciding championship game as Dawson started the 7th inning with a Pioneer error and a hit batsman to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Back to back Buccaneer singles ended the Pioneer season. 

Robins, Schaffer, and Ralphs had 2 hits each. Robins had 2 RBI. 

Krein pitched 7 innings (9 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 2 SO). 

Inside the Box Score

  • The Pioneers had 10 hits (2 2B) and the Bucs had 9 hits (2 2B). 
  • MCC had 3 errors and DCC had 1. 
  • The Pioneers had 2 stolen bases and the Bucs had 1. 
  • Pioneer batters struck out 4 times, walked twice, and were hit by pitch twice. 
  • Buc batters struck out twice and were hit by pitch twice. 

The Pioneer season finishes with a 27-22 record.