“We’re trying and working hard, but we just have too many people playing out of position,” said Steve King, Lady Spartan head coach. “We played much better in game two so hopefully we can build off that.”

The Lady Spartans never really got on track offensively in game one, but Maddi Shjerve was pitching well and kept them in the ball game in the early innings. The score was 5-0 after three innings but a series of hits and errors led to a big 8 run fourth inning. Rochester tacked three more on in the fifth to make the score 16-0.

The Lady Spartans played much better in game two. Shjerve pitched a nice, clean top of the first aided by a nice catch in center by Emma Bartels and a nice grab of a hard hit line drive by shortstop Kenna Kehoe. Shjerve also struck out a batter to get the Lady Spartans in the dugout swinging.

The Lady Spartans did come out swinging. Shjerve and Bartels led off the bottom of the first with singles and both came around to score on a base hit by Abby Tysdal to give the Lady Spartans a 2-0 lead.

Rochester tied the game 2-2 in the top of the second and just kept adding on, scoring four in the top of the fifth to put the game away. Offensively the Lady Spartans had better at bats, but just could not string the hits together.

The lady Spartans will play the top two teams in the league this weekend. Friday they travel to St. Cloud for a 3:30 start of a doubleheader and Saturday they are at home against Anoka-Ramsey. Game time Saturday is 12:00.