Kindred Hands Hi-Liners Softball Tough Regional Setback After Weather-Delayed Matchup

Photo courtesy of Kirstin Gerhardt

The Valley City Hi-Liners are still alive in the Region 1 tournament, but Tuesday’s 12-8 loss to Kindred/Richland came in one of the more unusual postseason settings teams will see all year.

The regional matchup originally began Monday evening in Hillsboro before rainy weather and deteriorating field conditions forced the game to be stopped after three innings. The contest was then moved and resumed Tuesday on a turf field in Casselton, creating a unique restart to an already emotional postseason battle.

Without making the weather the entire story, it certainly became part of it.

The decision to continue the game Tuesday on turf probably reflected just how difficult conditions had become Monday night. It was a tricky situation for everyone involved — players, coaches, officials, and tournament staff — and both teams ultimately had to adjust quickly to circumstances that were far from routine. Should the game have even been started? Only the umpires can be asked that question. One thing for sure, both teams had to play in the conditions.

Before the delay, Valley City had shown plenty of fight offensively.

The Hi-Liners jumped out to a fast start in the opening inning as Adalie Jewett and Lauren Larsen each drove in runs to help Valley City take an early 2-0 lead.

After Kindred answered with four runs in the bottom half of the first, the Hi-Liners responded again in the second inning with another offensive surge. Valley City pushed across four runs behind aggressive baserunning and RBI hits from Riley Smith and Addy Gerhardt to reclaim a 6-4 advantage.

Kindred eventually responded with a decisive second inning of its own, capitalizing on extra-base hits, walks, and pressure on the bases to swing momentum back in its favor.

Still, Valley City never completely folded.

Gerhardt delivered a triple late in the game, Larsen added another RBI hit, and the Hi-Liners continued battling offensively into the seventh inning despite trailing.

The loss pushes Valley City into the loser’s bracket of the Region tournament, but not out of it.

In many ways, Tuesday’s game felt like a snapshot of postseason softball in North Dakota — weather delays, changing venues, momentum swings, and teams simply trying to adapt on the fly. After starting Monday night on a wet grass field in Hillsboro and finishing Tuesday on turf in Castleton, both teams were asked to handle circumstances far from normal.

Kindred did enough to move forward in the winner’s bracket, while the Hi-Liners now turn their attention toward battling through the elimination side of the bracket with their season still alive.

The Hi-Liners face Hillsboro/Central Vally at 2pm, Wednesday (scheduled to be played at Olsen Softball Complex, Hillsboro, ND) via NDHSAANOW.COM