It wasn’t always pretty, but they got the job done.

The Riverland Community College softball team swept Fergus Falls in a doubleheader by scores of 2-1 and 9-7 in Riverland Friday.

The Blue Devils (12-7 overall, 7-1 MCAC South) took the lead for good in the first game when Liz Triplett, a sophomore from Northfield, blasted a run scoring double to right-center field with one out in the sixth. Laura Meyer had reached to start the inning on a bunt single and she scored both RCC runs in the win.

The Spartans scored just one run off of Riverland ace Autumn Jurgensen, who allowed four hits and one walk.

“I was having a hard time finding the strike zone, but I have a good defense behind me,” said Jurgensen, a freshman from Austin. “I pretty much know if the ball is in the air that the outfield is going to get it.”

Chelsey Swanson of Grand Meadow put RCC up 1-0 in the fourth when she delivered a two-out single, but the Spartans tied the game up in the fifth with a two-out run scoring single by Kelsey Proell.

RCC jumped out to a 9-2 lead after three innings in the second game. But Fergus Falls made it close and the Spartans had two runners on in the top of the seventh with two outs when Mandy May fielded a grounder off the bat of Steph Torklidson and fired to first basemen Chelsy Swanson, who stretched out to pull in the throw and end the game.

The Blue Devils also got a huge defensive play in the sixth inning from center fielder Thenedra Corey. After Corey dropped a fly ball to let two runs score to start the frame, she made a diving catch in center to keep Fergus Falls from tacking on two more runs.

After catching it, Corey strained her back when she jumped up to throw the ball in to prevent a run from scoring on a sacrifice.

“It was painful, but I got some redemption (for my error),” said Corey. “When I jumped up to throw, I had a shooting pain in my back.”

Corey belted a run scoring double in the second inning to make to pull her team within 2-1 and she scored on a bunt single by Chelsey Waltz to tie the game up. Corey said head coach Dan Swift gave her some good advice on the double.

“He’s my little guide and he’s in my head,” she said. “I’ve got to go through the motion because sometimes I get a head of myself and swing too hard.”

Swift said that both Corey and Triplett could take a little bit off their swing and still drive the ball consistently.

“Those two don’t need to swing so hard to hit the ball hard and that’s what they’re starting to understand,” he said. “Liz is allowing the ball to get a little deep and she’s going to the opposite field with it.”

Swift was also pleased with the success of his slap hitters as Chelsey Waltz, who is from New Richland/H/E/G, had three bunt singles in the second game and Meyer, Holly Waltz, and Jessica Wilde had some success with bunt hits on the day.

“We have a lot of stubborn players on our team which is a lot of fun, because then we can look back on it and see where we came from,” Swift said. “Our girls our starting to trust my philosophy on bunting and hitting. They’re starting to understand why we’re putting it where we are.”

After RCC tied the nightcap at 2-2, May, Waltz and Meyer added RBIs and Fergus Falls committed four errors in the frame.

RCC scored three times in the third as Triplett capped the rally with a run scoring single.

FF 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 — 1 4 0

RCC 0 0 0 1 0 1 X — 2 6 1

RCC pitching: Autumn Jurgensen (W), 7 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 2 K

RCC hitting: Holly Waltz, 0-for-3; Laura Meyer, 2-for-3, 2 R, SB; Jessica Wilde, 0-for-2; Liz Triplett, 1-for-3, double, RBI; Chelsy Swanson, 1-for-3, RBI; Thenedra Corey, 1-for-3; Christy Van Dyke, 0-for-2; Chelsey Waltz, 0-for-2; Mandy May, 1-for-2

FF 1 1 0 0 2 3 0 — 7 10 6

RCC 0 6 3 0 0 0 X — 9 14 4

RCC pitching: Annie Breault (W), 6 IP, 10 H, 3 BB, 7 R, 2 ER, 1 K; Liz Hahn (S), 1 IP, 1 BB, 0 R

RCC hitting: Holly Waltz, 1-for-4, RBI, R, SB; Meyer, 2-for-3, RBI, BB; Wilde, 2-for-4, R; Triplett, 1-for-4, RBI; Swanson, 2-for-4, R; Corey, 1-for-4, double, RBI, R, SB; Van Dyke, 2-for-3, R, BB; May, 0-for-2, RBI, 2 R, BB