Bemidji rallies past Elk River, Sherwood lifts Lumberjacks in extras

Bemidji’s season stayed alive the hard way, with a late rally, an extra-inning finish and seniors making the biggest plays when the margin for error disappeared. The No. 2-seeded Lumberjacks beat No. 7 Elk River 4-3 in the first round of the Section 8AAAA softball tournament Tuesday at the BHS Softball Field in Bemidji.

Callie Malkowski forced the game into extra innings with an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh, tying it 3-3 and denying the Elk River Elks a first-round upset. Then Clara Sherwood delivered the finish Bemidji needed, lifting a walk-off sacrifice fly in extras to send the Lumberjacks into the next round.

The comeback carried the feel of a postseason test rather than a routine opening-round game. Bemidji had already seen Elk River once this spring, slipping past the Elks 1-0 in regular-season play on May 15, and Tuesday’s rematch again turned into a tight, low-margin battle between familiar opponents. By the time the game reached the seventh inning tied, every pitch and every out carried section-tournament weight.

That pressure only sharpened the importance of Bemidji’s senior leadership. Sherwood’s final at-bat came after she had earlier grounded into a fielder’s choice with the winning run on second base, giving the Lumberjacks a second chance to cash in when the game was on the line. Instead of letting the missed opportunity linger, Bemidji answered with a composed final push, first through Malkowski’s hit and then Sherwood’s sacrifice fly.

The result sent Bemidji deeper into section play with another hard-earned win over an opponent it had already edged by one run. For a team trying to build postseason momentum, the 4-3 victory offered more than a bracket advance. It showed that the Lumberjacks could absorb a late swing from the seventh-seeded Elks, stay calm in extra innings and close out a game that had every chance to slip away.