Jul. 24—WADENA — Bemidji American Legion softball players are used to having to take the long way to the state tournament.

Two months before the Titans entered a best-of-three district series against Wadena, with a state berth on the line, their Blackduck contingent battled its way through the elimination bracket to win the Section 5A Tournament. It was Blackduck’s first-ever team section championship for any girls program in school history.

The same girls went the distance again on Thursday in Wadena.

After Post 14 won the opening game 5-1, it dropped the second 5-3. In the do-or-die third game, Bemidji’s seventh-inning rally was the difference in a 9-4 win, effectively clinching another spot in the state tournament Aug. 1-3 in Fairmont.

Tied 4-4 heading into the top of the seventh, Kenley Anderson doubled in the go-ahead run. The Titans weren’t done there as Anna Swedberg doubled to score Anderson. Swedberg later scored on Hannah Backus’ single. Jessa Anderson drew a bases-loaded walk to take a five-run lead.

Bemidji had a pair of two-run leads. Kayleigh Lory scored on a passed ball in the first inning before Maya Schmidt crossed home on a fielder’s choice in the third to make it 2-0. Wadena tied the game in the fourth on a sacrifice fly and an error.

Brooklyn Nord retook the lead for the Titans in the top of the sixth with a sacrifice fly. Backus singled in another run to make it 4-2 before Wadena responded with two more runs in the bottom of the frame.

In the end, Aleah Shogren had the last laugh. She stranded two Wadena runners on base in the bottom of the seventh to clinch the state berth. Shogren threw all seven innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.

Shogren also picked up the win in the first game of the series. One again, she struck out seven batters and allowed only one earned run in the 5-1 win.

Schmidt had a big game at the plate, going 3 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs. Jessa Anderson went 2 for 4 with a pair of singles, while Kenley Anderson went 1 for 3 with a double.

Post 14 looked poised to clinch a state spot with a sweep before Wadena’s seventh-inning heroics. Trailing 3-1 and down to its final three outs, Wadena plated four runs in the top of the seventh inning to escape with a 5-3 win.

Despite the sandwiched loss, Schmidt went 1 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Kenley Anderson also went 1 for 3 with a double. Shogren finished 2 for 3 at the plate with an RBI.

Bemidji 5, Wadena 1

BEM 200 020 1 — 5-7-1

WAD 000 001 0 — 1-4-3

WP: Shogren (7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K)

Wadena 5, Bemidji 3

WAD 100 000 4 — 5-10-2

BEM 101 100 0 — 3-6-3

LP: Swedberg (7 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K)

Bemidji 9, Wadena 4

BEM 101 002 5 — 9-11-2

WAD 000 202 0 — 4-5-2

WP: Shogren (7 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K)