There’s no better way to start a season than 1-0. The Minot Honeybees kicked off their 2025 Northwoods League Softball campaign in Mankato on Thursday night and stormed ahead to a 7-3 win over the Habaneros.

To begin the game, the Honeybees put together a nice two-out rally using two walks and a hit by pitch to load the bases for Virginia Mambelli. Mambelli got the ball to land in center and Bella Cimino scored from third for Minot’s first run of the season.

Though Mankato would tie the game in the bottom of the first, the Honeybees went right back to scoring in the second. After being walked around the bases again, Minot poured on four runs in the inning and chased Habanero starting pitcher Tegan Livesay out of the game after 1.1 IP. The four runs were scored on just two Honeybee hits courtesy of Taylor Chillingworth and Mambelli.

When the Habaneros came up to bat in their hitting half of the second inning, it looked like they were going to keep pace with the Bees. A home run by Skylinn Pogue led off the inning, but the next three batters were retired in order by Minot’s Ashleigh Heiderscheit.

Heiderscheit pitched well against a proven and powerful Habanero batting order. The sophomore from San Jacinto College went four innings, allowing two hits, two runs and struck out two. Heiderscheit also enjoyed plenty of clean defense behind her. The Bees committed one error on 29 chances and even turned a few double plays.

With the Honeybees up 6-2 after five innings, Shayna Myshrall added a late-game highlight: a solo home run to extend the lead to five runs. 

Before the seventh inning began, thunderstorms hit Mankato and the game did not resume. The Honeybees took game one of the three-game series 7-3.

Virginia Mambelli was named SportClips MVP after going 3-for-4 at the plate and driving in a run. Shayna Myshrall took home First Command Play of the Game honors with her home run in the sixth and the Honeybees drew six Buffalo Wild Wings Walks in the game. Minot will only have a short time to celebrate the first Sky Dancer Casino Big Win of the summer because they have two games to play against the Habaneros on Friday evening beginning at 5:05 pm CT.