Marshall 6, St. Peter 0

ST. PETER — Morgan Bjella threw her second career perfect game on Thursday night to lead the Marshall softball team to a 6-0 victory in the first game of their doubleheader against St. Peter.

Bjella threw the first perfect game in program history last year when she struck out eight of the 12 batters she faced in a 15-0 win over Worthington. This time around, however, the game went the full seven innings.

Beyond just holding the Saints without hits, Bjella hardly allowed St. Peter to put the ball in play, striking out 12 of the 21 batters she faced on the day.

After three innings of scoreless softball, Marshall broke the game open in the fourth inning. Brielle Riess hit a leadoff double and, after a Marshall strikeout, back-to-back doubles from Morgan Bjella and Halla Casavan made the score 2-0. Mackenzie Olsen capped off the Tigers’ big inning with a two-run homer to make it 4-0.

The Tigers built up some extra run support in the sixth inning when Olsen lined an RBI single to center field and Jaina Dekker followed up with another to make the score 6-0.

Olsen and Bjella each had a pair of hits on the day while Olsen drove in a team-high three RBIs.

Game 2

St. Peter 6, Marshall 1

ST. PETER — While Marshall dominated the first game of its doubleheader against the St. Peter softball team on Thursday, they were unable to duplicate the magic in the night’s second game, falling 6-1.

The game was tied at 1-1 until St. Peter pushed a run across the plate on a fielder’s choice in the fifth inning. From there, they went on to score another four runs in the sixth — courtesy of three Marshall errors — to put the game out of reach. 

St. Peter struck first with an RBI single in the first inning but Marshall answered in the second when Mackenzie Olsen doubled and scored on a Harley Beek single.

Beek pitched the game’s first 5 1/3 innings, surrendering three earned runs and three unearned runs on eight hits. She didn’t allow a walk and struck out one batter.

Bjella pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief. The Saints broke up Bjella’s perfect day with a single in the top of the seventh but she didn’t allow any other walks, hits or runs while striking out one batter.

Bjella singled twice in the loss, making her the only Tiger with multiple hits in the game.

Marshall now sits at 4-3 on the season after the split. They’ll look to get back in the win column on Monday when they host New Ulm for their home opener. The game is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m.

RTR 2, E/SWC 0

EDGERTON — A timely home run from Laken Baartman proved the difference in the Russell-Tyler-Ruthton softball team’s game against the Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian Dutchmen on Thursday night. The freshman’s four-bagger gave the Knights the run support needed to capitalize on another quality pitching outing from Kya Alderson as they hung on for a 2-0 victory.

The game was knotted in a scoreless tie when the Knights came up to bat in the top of the sixth. Alderson battled her way to a walk in an eight-pitch at-bat to put the go-ahead run on first. She didn’t stay on first for long as Baartman crushed the first pitch she saw to center field for a two-run shot. The hit marked Baartman’s sixth home run of the season.

Baartman finished the day with a game-high two hits and a walk while Alderson walked twice and accounted for the Knights’ only other hit, a single.

In the circle, Baartman was once again spectacular. She held the Dutchmen to four hits and struck out 11 batters without walking one, earning another complete-game shutout over seven innings.

Russell-Tyler-Ruthton improves to 8-1 with the win. They’ll host Minneota/Canby, another red-hot team at 9-1, today at 4:30 p.m.

KMS 4, TMB 0

TRACY — A second-inning barrage of runs proved to be the difference on Thursday for the Tracy-Milroy-Balaton softball team. The Panthers allowed four second-inning runs to Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg and suffered a tough 4-0 loss. 

Melaina Ankrum, Emma Chandler and Piper Freeburg were the only Panthers to record a hit on the day, all singles. 

Jaida Fricke pitched all seven innings for the Panthers in the loss. Only two of the four runs she allowed were earned runs. Fricke limited the Saints to four hits while striking out six batters.

TMB’s next game will be at home against Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove on Monday at 4:30 p.m.

RCW 3, Dawson-Boyd 2

DAWSON — The Dawson-Boyd softball team dropped a heartbreaker on Thursday night. After leading 2-0 through the first five innings, the Blackjacks allowed three sixth-inning runs to the Renville County West Jaguars in a 3-2 loss. 

Alli Estling pitched all seven innings for Dawson-Boyd, striking out 15 of the 27 batters she faced while walking just one. She also limited RCW to five hits.

Both teams recorded five hits, it would be the Jaguars who took advantage. Taylen Jorgenson led the Blackjacks with two hits in a losing effort. Jorgenson also had an RBI 

The Blackjacks host Ortonville at home on Monday at 4:30 p.m.

LQPV 7, YME 6

GRANITE FALLS — The Yellow Medicine East softball team fell to the Lac qui Parle Valley Eagles in an unfortunate loss on Thursday, 7-6. YME led for most of the game until LQPV scored four runs in the sixth inning to shut down the Sting. 

Although YME would score two runs in the sixth as well, it wouldn’t be enough to fuel a comeback. 

Bayli Sneller recorded two runs on two hits for the Sting while Everra Leenerts and Ella Cherveny each recorded another pair of hits. Alana Almich also had a double and two RBIs.

Sneller pitched all seven innings for YME, recording 10 strikeouts on the night while limiting LQPV to five hits. Of the seven runs she allowed, only one was earned; YME committed five errors in the game.

YME will play Russell-Tyler-Ruthton on Monday at home. Game time is 4:30 p.m.

Wabasso 22, BLHS 0

BUFFALO LAKE — The Wabasso softball team steamrolled the Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Mustangs in their 22-0 road victory behind 13 sixth-inning runs.

Sara Carlson and Annabelle Struntz each homered in the victory, with Struntz’s four RBIs trailing only Macy Rohlik’s three.

Audrey Johnson finished with a team-high four hits along with three RBIs. Lyla Kittelson also doubled twice while Johnson, Rohlik and Camryn Irlbeck each doubled once.

Avery Carlson pitched five scoreless innings in the win, allowing two hits and a walk with 11 strikeouts. Struntz pitched the final inning, recording two strikeouts while allowing one hit.

The Rabbits will return to action on Monday, traveling to Springfield. That game will start at 4:00.

Wabasso 13, BLHS 0

BUFFALO LAKE — The second game of Wabasso’s doubleheader against Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart was much of the same as they rode a pair of Lyla Kittelson home runs to a 13-0 victory over the Mustangs.

Kittelson finished the game with four RBIs while Audrey Johnson added another three. Johnson, Macy Rohlik, Camryn Irlbeck, Avery Carlson and Avery Schoer each also recorded a double in the game.

Carlson pitched the first two innings, holding BLHS without a baserunner while striking out three batters. Aylah Jenniges pitched the final three innings, striking out five batters while allowing two hits and a walk.