The game ended in the fifth due to the 10-run lead rule after Kailynn Hubred’s bases-loaded single to right scored Sofia Nachreiner to finish the game.

Fitzpatrick allowed three runs, one earned, in her five innings pitched as she secured the second win of the season for GFW, now 2-7. She also struck out seven while allowing six hits and one walk.

The sophomore right-hander was able to get several MVL batters swinging ahead, and she credited her success to placement and her catcher.

“Just moving the ball around,” she said. “And just watching what my catcher does, I’m just going to aim for that spot.”

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop’s Kailynn Hubred singles in the game-winning run in the fifth inning during a nonconference softball game against Minnesota Valley Lutheran on Friday in Winthrop.

GFW head coach Josh Wasmund was happy with his pitcher but equally happy with the defense behind her.

“The biggest thing with Ellison, she does stay around the zone and when she mixes up speeds, she does a great job of keeping girls off balance,” Wasmund said. “This game, we made a couple of errors, but really we made most of the plays behind her, and that’s huge, especially when they’re putting the ball in play.”

MVL, now 3-12, started junior Nora Grace Otto in the circle. She went two innings, allowing two hits and five walks for six earned runs while striking out six.

The Chargers typically start sophomore Katlyn Stadick in the circle and have Nora Grace Otto relief pitch, but head coach Nate Otto tested some new rotations and lineups all around the field Friday. Stadick entered in the third and pitched 2 1/3 innings, allowing four hits and six walks for seven runs while striking out three.

Nora Grace Otto and Stadick both had their moments, but they also struggled to find the strike zone, allowing GFW to collect 11 walks in the game and take extra bases on pitches to the backstop.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Minnesota Valley Lutheran outfielder Avery Menk throws the ball in to the infield during Friday’s nonconference softball game at Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop.

Coach Otto said he tries to encourage his pitchers from the dugout and let them know when they’re doing the right things, but he said there is room to grow for the duo.

“There is a little bit of that growing,” he said. “We are super young, we have two pitchers, a junior and a sophomore. In that scenario, I’m really trying to build their confidence mostly. Hopefully they’ll see that what we’re seeing from the dugout is also kind of what they can kind of lean on.”

The Chargers got their entire roster in the game at some point also as coach Otto prepares his team for a tough South Central Conference doubleheader on Tuesday at home against Maple River.

“Long vision, we have lots of players that we think there are opportunities for them on the field and I wanted to try to give them opportunities to kind of see where they’re at and kind of test the waters before we start seeing [more] doubleheader conference games,” coach Otto said. “We have super young players that are maybe playing one or two positions and we’re trying to see, ‘Is that No. 2 spot a really good spot for them? What does the communication look like?'”

GFW was led at the plate by Mady Lee, who was 2 for 3 with two RBIs, while Ellie Weber was 2 for 4 with three RBIs.

Nora Grace Otto was 2 for 2 with an RBI to lead MVL at the plate, while Ashlyn Rodewald added a double.

After MVL went ahead 1-0 in the top of the first after Nora Grace Otto singled in Grace Onken. The Thunderbirds flew back in the bottom of the inning with seven runs, however, led by a two-run single from Weber. The inning also saw GFW take four walks.

The Chargers cut their deficit to 7-3 in the second. Jess Meunier led off with a single and later scored on an error, while Stadick reached on a two-out infield single and later came home on another error.

GFW made it 9-3 in the third. Megan Hacker walked to lead off the bottom of the inning and later took home on a wild pitch, while Hubred walked and later scored on a groundout by Lauren Schafer.

The Thunderbirds got their final four runs to put the game away in the fifth, getting RBI singles from Lee and Weber before a fielder’s choice allowed Hacker to reach first and score another run. That fielder’s choice was followed up with Hubred’s game-ending hit.

“They switched their pitcher there mid-game and I think we still did a good job of waiting until we got a strike and when we did, we put it in play,” Wasmund said.

After getting their first win of the season in Gaylord against Sibley East on April 25, a 5-1 win, the Thunderbirds are hoping to use Friday’s big win as extra fuel going forward. And for Fitzpatrick, continuing a positive trend going forwards comes down to a few simple steps.

“Just keep throwing strikes,” Fitzpatrick said. “Also just keep staying hyped. Even if we’re down, just keep making sure the team is hyped and everybody is confident.”

GFW hosts Wabasso on Monday in a Tomahawk Division game.