Area prep sports: Blackduck softball team opens spring 5-0

BLACKDUCK -- Despite a late start to the season the Blackduck softball team has hit the field in full stride as the Drakes are 5-0 in the early going.

"The girls are working together as a team to make great things happen," said Blackduck coach Sheena Reese. "Our defense and offense have been strong. We also have had wonderful fan support and hope that continues."

The Drakes began the season with an 11-0 shutout of Nevis. On Monday they thumped Bagley 13-3 and East Polk (Fosston) 11-2 and on Tuesday Blackduck swept Red Lake 24-4 and 16-2.

Taylor Levy has been the top pitcher and the right hander is 5-0 with 39 strikeouts and a 1.43 earned run average.

Offensively Blackduck has been potent as it boasts a .570 team batting average with 86 hits in five games. The Drakes also have 63 RBIs and 32 stolen bases.

On Friday Blackduck will travel to Red Lake County Central and on Tuesday it will visit Cass Lake-Bena.

Bagley is 1-8 after dropping four games last week. The Flyers fell 15-5 to East Grand Forks, 13-3 to Blackduck, 14-1 to Fosston and 3-3 to Norman County.

On Tuesday they will host Norman County East.

Cass Lake-Bena is 0-2 after dropping a doubleheader tp Pine River 25-1 and 16-1. The Panthers are scheduled to resume their season Monday against Indus and Walker-Hackensack-Akeley.

Kelliher-Northome fell 10-0 Tuesday to Littlefork and dropped to 1-1. Today the Mustangs will tangle with Fertile-Beltrami and on Friday they will host Indus.

Red Lake is 0-4 after losing 11-1 to WHA and being swept by Blackduck. The Warriors will host Kelliher-Northome on Tuesday.

Baseball

The area baseball teams are finally able to head outdoors and defending Section 8A champion Blackduck is 1-1. The Drakes dropped their opener 5-3 to Fosston but tripped Northome-Kelliher 11-1 on Tuesday. Today finds Blackduck heading to Nevis and on Tuesday the Drakes will travel to Lake of the Woods.

Bagley is 2-2 with a 7-0 victory over Win-E-Mac and a 10-6 win at Norman County. The Flyers have also lost 3-0 to WHA and 11-1 to Thief River Falls.

Today the Flyers will make the trip to Lake Park-Audubon and on Friday they will invade Crookston. Next week sees Bagley visiting Northome-Kelliher on Tuesday.

Laporte (0-2) lost a twinbill at Nevis on Tuesday by scores of 20-3 and 24-4. The Wildcats head to Lake of the Woods today, Pine River Friday and Menahga on Monday.

Cass Lake-Bena has seen its early season contests postponed because of weather. The Panthers hope to hit the field today at home against Northome-Kelliher and on Friday they will head to Nevis.

Northome-Kelliher is 1-3 after defeating Red Lake 22-4. The losses have been 11-1 to Blackduck, 9-8 to Pine River and 12-0 to Nevis. Red Lake dipped to 0-2.

Following today's game at CL-B the Mustangs will host Bagley on Tuesday.