Swing and a miss

Burnsville's hopes of a return trip to the State Class AAA Softball Tournament, and possibly even a 2009 championship were dashed in a matter of hours Friday night as the Blaze's bats fell silent in back-to-back losses in the Section 3AAA Tournament at Lexington/Diffley Fields in Eagan.
Top-seeded and No. 1-ranked Burnsville couldn't muster a single run on an otherwise pleasant afternoon and evening as the Blaze were shutout, 3-0, by pitcher Ashley Kluever and No. 4 seeded Park before going down 1-0 to defending State Class AAA champion and third-seeded Eagan in the nightcap to be eliminated from the postseason.
Park scored as many runs in one game as Burnsville had allowed in the nine games this month preceding it and the two losses tripled the Blaze's loss total for the entire season. Disheartened, Burnsville wraps the 2009 season two weeks before it had hopes to with an 18-3 record.
Alive and well in sectional play are the Wolfpack, who have ridden the golden arm of Ashley Kleuver to a pair of 3AAA victories thus far. Park has allowed just one run in 14 innings this far, giving up a single tally to fifth-seeded Apple Valley in a 3-1 playoff-opening win on May 20.
Park now takes on second-seeded Rosemount, a 3-1 victor over Lakeville North in the other winner's bracket semifinal, next Tuesday in hopes of securing a spot in the sectional championship game on May 28. Eagan — who has been involved in three 1-0 games (two wins and one loss) in the four they've played so far — faces the Panthers on May 26 in a loser's bracket elimination game with the winner to play the Wolfpack/Irish loser to determine who will take the second spot in the 3AAA title contest.
All remaining contests in the section will be played at the Lexington/Diffley complex.