Medford 8u softball wins national championship
The Medford eight-and-under 2024 national champions. Back row: Gracelyn Holz, Izzy Peterson, Nyla Seid, Leah Possehl, Callista Ihlenfeld. Middle Row: Elsie Biermaier, Kendra Sammon, Ellie Lohrmann, Ella Lannoye, Ellerie Hager. Front Row: Delaynie Johnson, Hallie Gaulrapp. Submitted photo
Medford’s eight-and-under softball team won the silver bracket of the 2024 Monsta National Championship in Shakopee last weekend by going 5-1.
The team finished the season with a stellar 31-2 record and fought hard to earn their title with two comeback wins in the semifinals and championship game.
“They were behind, but honestly, I don’t even know if they knew that they were losing. They kept hitting and fielding so well, and they were cheering each other on the whole time. They played so hard, and it paid off,” said Medford assistant coach Laura Seid.
Medford dropped the opening game of pool play 1-3 to Brainerd but bounced back to beat Shakopee 15-0.
The 1-1 split placed Medford in the silver bracket – an accomplishment enough for a team that was formed just two seasons ago.
“We were excited to even be in the silver bracket,” said Medford head coach Erin Johnson. “To go out there and win it, we couldn’t be more proud of these girls and how fast they’ve picked up the game.”
The path to the title began with a big 14-4 win over Bloomington’s White squad, but the team’s semifinal game would prove a bit more difficult.
Medford found itself trailing Minnetonka 5-3 late in the game, before two rain delays and a lightning stoppage derailed the game for quite some time.
When play resumed, Medford took the upper hand and began rallying to beat the Skippers 12-5 and advance to the championship game.
“I knew we were going to win with how well we were fielding and hitting. We were cheering each other on, and every team was so nice. We had so much fun,” said Medford first baseman Nyla Seid.
Medford faced Brownton in the big game and fell behind 3-0, but the Tigers rallied at the right time again to win 5-3 and leave the Twin Cities as national champions.
“I felt really glad, but I felt sad too because the other teams lost. They were all really nice and we would play them again any day,” said Medford shortstop Delaynie Johnson.
Medford’s eight-and-under team will surely go down as one of Steele County’s most dominant 2024 squads after outscoring opponents 225-44 in a 33-game season.