BP wins shootout over GMLOK

We’re well past football season, but Blooming Prairie softball put up a scoreline reminiscent of the fall season after beating Grand Meadow-LeRoy-Ostrander-Kingsland (GMLOK) 21-12 in the two teams’ season-opening game last week.

Neither side was perfect during the 33-run scoring frenzy, but the Awesome Blossoms were the sharper of the two teams to pull off the blowout win.

“There were a lot of walks and hits for both teams, but it’s the first game. That’s going to happen in the early part of the season,” said Blooming Prairie assistant coach David Lassahn.

Temperatures in the low 40s and wind gusts of near 20 miles-per-hour made for sub-optimal conditions for the first game of the season, but the challenging weather created the perfect storm for plenty of offense.

GMLOK started the top of the first inning by notching two runs for an early 2-0 lead, but Blooming Prairie stormed right back for six runs of its own in the bottom of the first.

The Awesome Blossoms’ offense was fueled by multiple walks and strung-together hits that had the Bulldogs on their heels.

Blooming Prairie sophomore pitcher Raylee Miner had a relatively clean first inning, but had trouble controlling her pitches in the second, allowing multiple early walks that were batted home by the latter half of the Bulldogs’ lineup.

GMLOK made it through its entire lineup in the second and amounted six runs of its own to regain the lead at 8-6; however, the lead would be short-lived.

Blooming Prairie went back to work punishing GMLOK’s mistakes by cashing in on multiple walks, hits and stolen bases to score 10 runs in the second inning.

The Awesome Blossoms had no trouble getting on base, and once they reached first, they were a terror for the Bulldogs’ defense.

Blooming Prairie amassed 20 stolen bags in the matchup with the majority coming in the first two innings.

Now leading 16-8, Blooming Prairie’s Miner found her rhythm again and began to shut down opposing hitters.

The sophomore found the zone consistently and began racking up strikeouts and easy groundouts to the infield to keep GMLOK’s third-inning score to just one run.

Blooming Prairie went on to add five more runs in the bottom of the third to lead 21-9 before holding GMLOK to three runs in the bottom of the fourth to end the game at 21-12 due to the mercy rule.

Blooming Prairie’s starting lineup was seeing the ball well in its first game as all nine athletes managed to record at least one hit and one walk against GMLOK.

Miner’s 2025-26 debut in the circle resulted in a win after recording eight hits, nine walks, 11 earned runs and six strikeouts over four innings.

Up next for the Awesome Blossoms is a home matchup against Waseca on Thursday, April 2 at 4:30 p.m.

Player Stats

vs. GMLOK

                     H    R    RBI              

Nelson           1    3    3                 

Harvey           1    3    2                 

Schiller          1    3    2                 

Winzenburg    2    2    2                 

Stoen            1    3    1                 

Miner             1    2    2                 

Anderson       1    3    0                 

Bangert          1    1    1                 

Klocke           1    1    0                 

                            IP   H    R    ER  K    BB

Miner             4    8    12   11   6    9