Raptor could be listed with record strikeouts

The Raptors softball team has submitted paperwork to the state association and national federation for pitcher Abby Mitchell to be enshrined as the state record holder and shared national record holder for strikeouts in a seven-inning game at 24. Mitchell recorded 24 strikeouts in a 3-0 loss against Hinkley-Finlayson April 12 at Chub Lake Park in Carlton. Every out achieved by the Raptors in the game was by strikeout. (Three batters reached first base on passed ball strikeouts.) The team is awaiting confirmation and approval before Mitchell's status is official.

The Pine Knot News first reported on her possible

record-breaking performance in the April 19 issue of the paper. If the record is approved on both the Minnesota State High School League and the National Federation of High Schools levels, Mitchell would break the Minnesota strikeout record for most strikeouts in a seven-inning game and would tie the national record. Submittals can take a while before they are accepted.

Some instances allow more than the standard 21 strikeouts in a seven-inning game, including the catcher dropping a called strike three, or a batter swinging and missing a passed ball or wild pitch, which would allow the batter to reach first base.

Such was the case three times in the Raptors loss that day. Mitchell started with three strikeouts in the first inning, followed by striking out four in the second inning. Natalie Stafne of the Jaguars reached on a strikeout, passed ball but would not score as Mitchell recorded three more strikeouts to end the inning. Mitchell again struck out the side in the third, giving her 10 through three innings of play.

The fourth inning saw the Raptors give up two runs after two quick strikeouts, and another strikeout which would have been the third out of the inning, but a dropped ball again kept the inning alive. The dropped strike three was followed by two errors: a hit batter and a walk, which allowed runners to advance and gave Hinckley-Finlayson a 2-0 lead after four innings. The fifth inning saw the first batter strikeout but advance to first on a passed ball - batter Reese Hartl eventually came around to score before Mitchell would record three more strikeouts.

Mitchell struck out three more in the sixth and seventh innings to finish with 24 for the game. Aris Richey recorded 14 strikeouts for the Jaguars as both pitchers combined for 38 strikeouts.

At the state level, Mitchell's 24 strikeouts should break the current record held by Marah Hulke of Nicollet, who finished with 22 against St. Clair/Loyola in 2022.

The current national record of strikeouts in a seven-inning game is also 24, held by Kelly Holmes of Plymouth, Michigan, from 1992.