Photo by Chris Drummond: Wabasso's Addisyn Hillesheim waits for a pitch during an at-bat 6-5 victory over the RTR Knights on Tuesday evening.

MARSHALL — The No. 2 Wabasso Rabbits softball team survived a late comeback from No. 3 Russell-Tyler-Ruthton Knights, winning 6-5 in the 3A Section Tournament elimination bracket Tuesday evening. The Rabbits have won each of the teams’ three matchups this season by a cumulative total of four runs.

In the top of the second, the Wabasso Rabbits started the scoring off with an RBI double from Addisyn Hillesheim. The Knights had two errors that kept the inning alive. Lyla Kittleson was able to get a sacrifice fly and the Rabbits led 3-0.

Sara Hartson drew a walk and Daryssa Cruz got a base hit putting two runners on first and second with no outs. Rabbits starting pitcher Avery Carlson struck out the next two batters and Lily Klumper flew out to end the inning, keeping it at a 3-0 lead.

The errors continue to doom the RTR Knights as they committed two more, allowing Wabasso to score two more runs and extend its lead to 5-0. Burns came up with a bunt and Gabi Borresen had another throwing error that scored another run. Sophia Hanna came up to bat and lined out.

RTR started to rally in the bottom of the fifth.

The Knights came up to bat and got the bases loaded with Laken Baartman at bat. She roped a line drive between right and center field, driving in all three runs to cut the deficit in half, 6-3. Alderson got an infield single and RTR had the tying run up at the plate. Daryssa Cruz hit a two-run single to bring the Knights within one.

Kelsey Frank got a single and put runners on second and third with one out. Annabelle Struntz came up to bunt and made it safely to first base, but Alderson threw out Frank at third, making it two outs in the inning. The Rabbits grounded out to end the top of the seventh.

Alderson struck out the side and RTR was down to its last at-bat to keep its season alive.

Madi Burns drew a walk and Baartman hit a double to get her second consecutive hit to put runners on second and third with no outs. Wabasso head coach Tiffany Eichten came out and made a switch from Struntz back to Avery Carlson in the circle. Carlson got the next two batters to pop out and had two outs with two runners on. Cruz came up to bat and hit a ground ball past the pitcher, but the ball was fielded and Cruz was thrown out for the last out and the Rabbits survived a scare.

With the loss, the Knights’ season comes to a close.

“They’re a good team,” Eichten said. “I told the girls that they’re going to be out to get us because we have beaten them the last two times and it was close. We knew they were going to give us their all. The other day against KMS, I was thinking of putting Carlson back in but I didn’t. This time I decided to go back to her because I have confidence in her and she’s seen those girls a couple of times already. We left those two runners on and got the final outs. That is what good teams do and I have confidence in my team, confidence in Carlson and it was a good team win.”

Hillesheim had two hits in the victory and Avery Carlson picked up the win, pitching five innings and getting the three clutch outs to advance.

Baartman had a game-high three RBIs and Cruz had a hit with two RBIs for the Knights in the loss.

“When we got down 6-0, our message to the girls was one base at a time,” RTR head coach Darren Baartman said. “We’re not going to get a six-run homer. We have to keep getting baserunners and we did that. We put ourselves in a great position with the winning run on second but we weren’t able to push those runs through. We can’t let one game define our season. I’m super proud of the girls and what they accomplish. We won a total of 19 games this season. In sports, you either win your last game or lose your last game.”

With the win, the Wabasso Rabbits advanced to play the Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg Saints. Both teams have split victories in two meetings.

Photo by Chris Drummond: Photo by Chris Drummond: Wabasso’s Addisyn Hillesheim waits for a pitch during an at-bat 6-5 victory over the RTR Knights on Tuesday evening.