Hippety-hop, hippety-hop.

Beulah Vision is hop-scotching its way right up the women's slowpitch ladder.

Known as the Junior Olympics, the Beulah team won the state Rec III championship in 2007.

Last year it began the spring rated Rec II. It won the Rec I championship at the McQuade Softball Tournament, got bumped up permanently to Rec I and then won that state title.

During the offseason the state Amateur Softball Association moved Beulah Vision up again, this time to Class D.

Beulah Vision battled and survived in its new environment during Friday's first day of the McQuade tourney, winning twice in its final at-bat. The Beulah team edged the Aberdeen, S.D., Northside Bombers 6-5 with a run in the bottom of the seventh inning and got by Rapid City, S.D., MLC Autoworks 5-4 in the same manner.

Emmy Miller drilled a two-out double to left-center to drive Jordan Halter home with the game-winner against Aberdeen.

"Last year we won state Rec I and McQuade both so everybody kind of thought we were ranked too low," said Kayla Schmidt, the Beulah Vision cleanup hitter.

Beulah Vision is 6-1 thus far. They went 1-1 in a rain-plagued tournament at Bismarck three weeks ago and have won all three of their league games. Schmidt said her team is going to have its hands full in the Class D ranks.

"We'll definitely have to step up our game. It's tougher competition. We can definitely play at this level, we just have to minimize mistakes and keep our heads on straight," she said.

Schmidt, who plays basketball at Northern State in Aberdeen, played left field on Friday and rapped three hits. Coach Clarence Winfrey has used her at shortstop and pitcher, too, and she said she's at home any of those positions.

Others at the top of the Beulah Vision batting order include first baseman Jessie Battest, pitcher Jacey Pulver, outfielder Mahri Schumacher and right fielder Kori Link.

Schmidt said little has changed with Beulah Vision personnel-wise.

"We have our same team back. One of our outfielders, Jessica Hruby isn't playing for us anymore. She moved to a different team ¦ and one or two girls moved up to our team from our young Junior Olympic team," Schmidt said.

Bear-with-us day

Friday night's rainstorm didn't affect the women's schedule. Everything was complete before the squall hit.

The men's divisions are another matter. Enough games were disrupted Friday night to force some 6 a.m. starts today.

"We want to concentrate on getting the Friday night games finished," tournament manager Mike Wolf said. "¦ Saturday will be a bear-with-us day."

Weather permitting, all of today's women's game are on schedule. The men's schedule will run normally at the Cottonwood, 16th Street and Tatley diamonds.

At Mandan, the remnants of Friday's 8:20 p.m. round will begin at 6 a.m. with the 7:30 morning round to follow.

At Clem Kelley the games scheduled for 8:20 p.m. on diamonds 5, 6 and 8 will be played a 6 a.m. today. The 7:10 p.m. game on diamond 7, which was halted in the fourth inning, will be completed at 6 a.m. Immediately thereafter, the game originally scheduled for 8:20 p.m. Friday will proceed on Diamond 7.

"We'll evaluate (Saturday) as we go along," Wolf said.

Rough company

O'Brian's-Universal Athletics was bounced up a notch to Class C over the winter, and it's taking the Bismarck women's team awhile to adjust.

In league play, O'Brian's stands 4-6. It was rained out in its only tournament outing.

Left fielder Stacy Neumiller said the change in classifications wasn't unexpected. "We took McQuade and won state," she said.

What wasn't expected was the loss of several players.

"We lost four or five players due to pregnancy," Neumiller said. "¦ Some of our league teams have added players in the last year and some of the teams have gotten tougher. We've lost some key players."

Neumiller said a lack of consistent offense has bedeviled O'Brian's in the early going. "We're not hitting consistently," she said. "¦ We're hoping to get our bats turned around and play well and have some fun (this week)," Neumiller added.

Hitting in the middle of the O'Brian's batting order are outfielder Lynette Mund, shortstop Jen Meslow, third baseman Morgan Edmundson, outfielder Robyn Krile, Neumiller and first baseman Heidi Sunderland.

The bats were there Friday. O'Brian's thumped West Fargo M&J Brand Saloon 13-2 in a game shortened by the 10-run rule.

McQUADE SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT

WOMEN'S CLASS C

First Round

Bismarck Moritz Sport and Marine def. Burnsville (Minn.) High Point Group, forfeit. Bismarck O'Brian's-Universal Athletics 13, West Fargo M&J Brand Saloon 2. Fargo Tharaldson Enterprises 12, Bismarck Burnt Creek-Jerome Distributing 1. Minot Saunders Bud Light 11, Fargo Peterson Construction 1.

WOMEN'S CLASS D

First Round

Beulah Vision 6, Aberdeen (S.D.) Northside Bombers 5. Las Vegas (Nev.) Bad Girlz 10, Bismarck Big Boy-Rud's Tesoro 0. Bismarck Gold and Sliver 12, Fargo Kraft Concrete-The Northern 1. Bismarck InstaTrim 6, Fargo Microsoft 5. Regina (Saskatchewan) Trail-X Express 10, Bismarck Missouri Valley Ag-Great Plains 5. Minot Square One-Barley Pop 13, Jamestown "Orr"iginals 2.

Second Round

Beulah Vision 5, Rapid City (S.D.) MLC Autoworks 4. Bismarck Dust-Tex 5, Minot Square One-Barley Pop 2.

MEN'S UPPER DIVISION

First Round

Pool A

Bismarck Spectrum Design-Fisher Industries 18, Red Wing (Minn.) Sioux Nation 3.

Pool B

Fargo Tharaldson Enterprises 15, Fargo Sperle Masonry-Executive Mortgage 4.

MEN'S CLASS C

First Round

Minot Homesteaders 14, Mandan Smokemasters 8. Bismarck Bud-Stadium-Midwest Doors 24, Fargo Sum Seeds-Vic's Bar 12. Bismarck Jorgy's-Bud Light-Captain Freddy's 12, Fargo Schiele Enterprises 4. Wahpeton Sun Opta 20, Belcourt Turtle Mountain Thunder 14. Sioux Falls (S.D.) Rip It 16, Bismarck Next Era Energy 3.

MEN'S REC III-IV BUDWEISER

First Round

Bismarck Gateway Insurance 20, Mandan Malo's Remodeling 9. Bismarck Sidelines-Prairie Public 17, Mandan Old Town Tavern 5. Bismarck Superior Silk Screen 10, Enderlin Merchants 3. Napoleon Quintet 9, Bismarck Elbow Room-CVB 7. Bismarck Northland Auto Auction-Captain's Cabin 11, Mandan Roundup II 0. Fargo PK Construction-Lakemode Liquors 11, Bismarck City Air Mechanical 10. Bismarck Balkowitsch Enterprises 8, Pingree Pirates 7. Bismarck E-Quality-General Equipment 10, Mandan Crouse Family 2. Wilton Sportsmen's Bar 18, Bismarck Orange Julius 0. Dickinson Roughrider Homes and RVs 9, Tappen Roadhouse B&G 5.

Scores of two 7:10 p.m. games in Mandan were unavailable.

MEN'S REC III-IV BUD LIGHT

First Round

Fargo The Work Zone 6, Bismarck O'Brian's 0. Mandan Barney's Tesoro 25, Bismarck Gateway Pharmacy 17. Bismarck Elbow Room-Coors Light-Pure Country 15, Gackle Dani's Place-Midwest Seeds 13. Mandan BMDL 17, Bismarck Captain Freddy's 1. Minot Capri Bar 8, Bismarck ICI-Graphic Attic 6. Bismarck Expressway C-Store 7, Mandan TC Wolves 4.

Score of a 7:10 p.m. game in Mandan was unavailable.

MEN'S REC III-IV BUD SELECT

First Round

Bismarck CK Auto 13, Mandan Hirsch Florist 3. Bismarck Dam Bar Beavers 13, Bismarck Friday's-Silver Dollar 2. Mandan Westside Bar 14, Minot Nola's-PBR 2. West Fargo Schmitz Insurance 13, Bismarck Surety Life Insurance 2. Bismarck FK Lawn Care 12, Valley City Sandoon Saloon II 6. Bismarck Community Builders 15, Mandan Dietz Painting 9. New Salem Merchants 10, Fargo Aadland Law Firm 4. Medina Hoffman Trucking 10, Bismarck Capitol RV 0.

Scores of eight 7:10 p.m. games in Mandan were unavailable.