As the ball crosses the plate and lands firmly into the catcher’s mitt, the ump shouts, “Strike!” Abby Breuer, the starting pitcher for the Cannon Falls softball team, once again threw another strikeout, advancing the Bombers through the 2022 playoff season. On May 26, 2022, the Bomber softball team made history. For the first time, Cannon Falls has won a sub-section championship.

This past year, the Bombers moved from their previous section to Section 1AA— arguably a way more difficult one. Expected to face some of the top teams in the state for class AA, which include Zumbrota-Mazeppa, Chatfield, and St. Charles, the softball team was feeling apprehensive about their postseason. However, they undoubtedly proved themselves wrong.

Coming into the postseason as the number two seed, Cannon Falls demolished the Lourdes Eagles as well as the Pine Island Panthers. These victories sent them straight to the Rochester Softball Complex to take on the number one seed, Zumbrota Mazeppa. Senior left fielder Erin Kremers emphasized that she was “feeling excited going into the game because she knew the team could beat them.” Throughout the entire game, the score was neck and neck. If the Bombers scored, the Cougars answered immediately. Going into the seventh inning, Cannon Falls led 2-1. The Bombers managed to score four runs in the top of the seventh. Now leading 6-1, the Bombers had to shutdown the Cougars in the bottom of the seventh inning. Although Zumbrota-Mazeppa managed to score one run, Cannon Falls took the victory with a 6-2 win. Now adorned in blue shiny medals, the softball team won the east sub-section— for the first time in school history. 

Still undefeated, the Bombers traveled to Austin to face the winner of the west sub-section: Chatfield. After being down 0-2, the team rallied in the fourth inning and took the lead 4-2. Unable to respond, the Chatfield Gophers lost. “It was so surreal when we got that last out, we were continuing to make history,” pitcher Olivia Villarreal, a senior on the team, exclaimed. The Bombers we’re headed to the section championship. 

However with the playoffs being double-elimination, Chatfield was able to come back by winning the “losers bracket.” Luckily for the Bombers, the pressure was on Chatfield as the Gophers would have to beat the undefeated Cannon Falls twice in order to advance to state. 

Unfortunately, Chatfield beat the Bombers 1-9 in the first game. Determined to go into the second game strong, Cannon Falls was still unable to pull off a win, losing again 0-11. 

Izzy Pagel, a junior who is the starting shortstop, shared how she felt like the team did not play their best. “The outcome could have definitely been different, but I’m proud of how far we have come,” she states. Overall, the Bombers had an astoundingly successful season.