East Ridge and Forest Lake meet in a replay of the 2019 Class 4A state tournament third-place game. Forest Lake won that contest 7-0, and with power-hitting catcher Logan Anderson leading the way, the Rangers (5-1, 5-1) appear capable of reaching the state tournament again in 2021.
Anderson, a Winona State commit, has a home run and three RBIs this season. And the Rangers have a lot more around her, including Megan Wolff, who has nine hits and four RBIs to go with her 3-1 record as a pitcher that includes 26 strikeouts in 22.2 innings and a 0.93 ERA. Sophomore Bethany Weiss has five doubles and a home run among her seven hits, senior shortstop Hailey Pitzl has a home run and five RBIs and junior power-hitting third baseman Grace Frechette has yet to play this season.
East Ridge (5-2, 4-2) won its first four games before losing 5-0 to White Bear Lake on April 19 and 10-8 to Irondale two days later. A 7-3 victory over Woodbury on April 23 got the Raptors back on the winning track.
Junior Avery Wukawitz, a shortstop and outfielder, is the only Raptor who played in that 2019 third-place game still with the team.