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After a dramatic, walk-off triumph successful Wednesday's semifinal, the Champlin Park Rebels are headed to the Minnesota High School Girls' Softball State Championship — and truthful is their transgender pitcher Marissa Rothenberger.
After giving up 2 aboriginal runs successful a shaky start, Rothenberger settled successful and pitched a implicit crippled to assistance No. 2-seeded Champlin Park borderline past No. 6 White Bear Lake, 3-2, successful the Class AAAA authorities semifinals. Rothenberger gave up 7 hits and 2 runs (one earned) and struck retired three successful the effort.
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Marissa Rothenberger celebrates successful the dugout with teammates aft Champlin Park's melodramatic win. (Amber Harding)
But it was Rothenberger's hitting that truly sparked the comeback. The inferior led disconnected the 5th inning with a treble that began Champlin Park's rally to necktie the crippled astatine 2 apiece. Then, successful the bottommost of the seventh, Rothenberger — who went 2-for-3 astatine the sheet — opened the inning with different double. Rothenberger was replaced by a "courtesy runner," who yet scored the game-winning tally connected a two-out, walk-off deed from inferior outfielder Ava Parent.
Champlin Park volition look No. 4-seeded Bloomington Jefferson successful the title crippled connected Friday astatine the University of Minnesota's Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. Jefferson upset top-seeded Forest Lake earlier Wednesday.
But portion Champlin Park celebrated its walk-off win, the country successful the White Bear Lake dugout was acold different. Many of the girls were visibly emotional, immoderate successful tears, arsenic the world of the season-ending nonaccomplishment acceptable in.
One subordinate turned to her begetter and asked, "Why can't you bash something?"
TRACKING THE TRANS ATHLETE HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS CONTROVERSIES SHAKING THE NATION OVER THE LAST YEAR
No parents were consenting to spell connected record, but OutKick spoke with 2 White Bear Lake dads successful the stands who expressed heavy vexation with the strategy that allowed their daughters to vie against a antheral jock — namely, the Democrat politicians who prioritize ideology implicit fairness.
"You're looking astatine a full squad of aboriginal Republicans," 1 antheral said.
Another dada agreed, saying this mightiness beryllium an eye-opening acquisition for the parents: "They're like, "Oh, they're crushing my kid's dreams? Maybe I made the incorrect choices."
Despite President Donald Trump’s enforcement order, the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) allows student-athletes to vie successful events accordant with their sex identity, careless of biologic sex. MSHSL said that the eligibility of transgender student-athletes is "determined by authorities law, done the Minnesota Human Rights Act and the Minnesota Constitution."
Despite nationalist governing bodies — similar USA Softball and the NCAA — instituting female-only eligibility policies, specified state-level laws make enforcement loopholes that permission parents and pistillate athletes feeling helpless.
And contiguous successful North Mankato, Minn., that helplessness was written each implicit the faces of the White Bear Lake players.
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Transgender pitcher Marissa Rothenberger (Amber Harding)
As 1 miss walked disconnected the field, her begetter met her down the dugout. "That’s not fair," she said.
"That’s Minnesota," helium replied.
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