Photo courtesy of The Pipestone County Star/Eric Viccaro Marshall’s Brielle Riess swings at a pitch during a softball game against Pipestone Area in Pipestone on Thursday. The Tigers split the doubleheader against the Arrows with a 9-1 win and 3-2 loss.

PIPESTONE — The Marshall softball team erupted for seven first-inning runs in the first game of their doubleheader against Pipestone Area on Thursday, riding that momentum to a 9-1 win before falling 3-2 to Pipestone’s last-inning rally in the second game.

Marshall’s first-inning success in the first inning of the first game started when Jayda Bednarek and Morgan Bjella reached on an error and a walk. Halla Casavan capitalized on the opportunity with a double to score Bednarek and another error on a Mackenzie Olsen pop fly drove in Bjella for a 2-0 Tiger lead.

A strikeout put two outs against the Tigers but Claire Allen singled to drive in Casavan and, after Jaina Dekker walked, Olsen scored on a wild pitch. 

Naya Grahn loaded the bases again by drawing a walk. Brielle Riess hit a hard-hit ground ball to second base and Pipestone’s third error of the inning allowed Riess to reach base safely while scoring Allen and Dekker for a 6-0 Marshall lead. Grahn then stole home on a passed ball to make it 7-0 before a groundout mercifully ended the inning.

Bjella went the full seven innings for the Tigers, striking out 15 batters without a walk. She surrendered just six hits and the one run she allowed was an unearned run.

Marshall’s one miscue came in the first inning when Pipestone put their leadoff batter on with an error. The runner advanced to second on a passed ball and third on a bunt single. A strikeout put the first out away but not before Pipestone scored on another passed ball. After allowing another single, however, Bjella got two more strikeouts to end the inning with an eight-run cushion for the Tigers.

Jaina Dekker drew a walk in the top of the fifth inning and, with two outs, Riess doubled to left field to make the score 8-1.

Marshall’s final run came in the top of the seventh when Allen was hit by a pitch, Dekker walked and Grahn singled to load the bases with no outs. Riess drove in Allen on a fielder’s choice but the Arrows forced consecutive groundouts from there to end the inning without further damage.

Game 2

Pipestone 3, Marshall 2

Marshall led nearly the entirety of the second game before Pipestone finally got on the board. Trailing 2-0 heading into the last inning, Alyssa Enger started the frame with a walk and Kaitlyn Adelman doubled to left field to put the Arrows on the board.

Amyra Mahik dropped a sacrifice bunt to put the tying run on third and Brilee Rieck singled to right field to score Adelman and knot the game up at two runs apiece.

Again the Arrows dropped a sacrifice bunt to put the go-ahead run in scoring position. The Tigers had a chance to end it on a grounder, but an error allowed Rieck to score before a ground out on the next play ended the Arrows’ at-bats.

Marshall had one last opportunity to respond but a flyout, strikeout and groundout retired the Tigers in order to end the game.

Harley Beek pitched the full seven innings for Marshall, surrendering two earned runs on six hits and a pair of walks. She struck out five batters and was efficient with her pitches, throwing just 77 over the course of the game.

Marshall scored both of its runs in the first inning. Brielle Riess hit a leadoff single and, after stealing second and advancing on a Bednarek sacrifice bunt, she scored on a Bjella line-out to left field. In the next at-bat, Casavan went yard with a deep drive to center field for a 2-0 Marshall lead. Casavan and Riess each had a pair of hits in the game with Riess’ other being a double.

Marshall (2-1) will host Worthington for its home opener on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.