Photo by Jake McNEill: Marshall pitcher Morgan Bjella throws a pitch in the second inning of a softball game against Worthington at the Marshall Softball Complex on Monday. The Tigers defeated the Trojans 4-1 behind Bjella's 17 strikeouts.

MARSHALL — Morgan Bjella was nearly unhittable on the mound for the Marshall softball team, striking out 17 batters to set the tone in the Tigers’ 4-1 win over Worthington on Monday. 

“They seem to be more focused today versus other games [defensively], and I think when we have that mentality of we need to come out on top, then we play better,” Marshall head coach Stacey Baedke said. 

Bjella set her second-highest strikeout mark of the season in her last start for Marshall, striking out 16 batters in a win over Fairmont on Thursday. She kept the momentum rolling into Monday’s matchup against Worthington with each of the Tigers’ first nine defensive outs coming via strikeout. Her 33 punchouts over the last two games are the most in a two-game stretch in her career. 

“Just knowing that my team is behind me and that, if I miss, they’re going to be there to get that ball or get that hit,” Bjella said of her recent success, adding that she felt her riseball has been particularly effective as of late. “If things aren’t working, my defense is there for me.”

Bjella pitched the full seven innings for Marshall, holding Worthington to three hits and one walk on an efficient 97 pitches. The result brings her record to 5-1 on the season. 

The Tigers scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the first inning when Jayda Bednarek singled, stole second, and scored on a Halla Casavan double with two outs. 

After a dormant second inning, Bednarek started another Tiger rally in the third with a leadoff single. Morgan Bjella followed up with another but a fly out and a sacrifice bunt left the runners on second and third with two outs. Mackenzie Olsen drew a walk to load up the bases and Jaina Dekker capitalized with a hard-hit ground ball that found the gap into left field. Bednarek and Bjella both scored on the hit, giving Marshall a 3-0 advantage.

Bednarek and Dekker each had two base hits for the Tigers while Dekker also drew a walk to reach base three times on the day. Casavan also nearly had two base hits for the Tigers after she crushed a home run to left field in the fifth inning, but she was called out after missing the bag at first base on her home run trot. 

“I was pretty shocked that it happened, but [Casavan] knew that it happened,” Baedke said. “She even said to herself, ‘I missed first base.’ So unfortunately it didn’t count, but as soon as it hit her bat I knew it was gone.”

The Tigers had a missed scoring opportunity in the second inning when Dekker, Justine Kirst and Naya Grahn hit back-to-back-to-back singles to load the base with one out. Yet, a baserunning error turned an infield fly into an inning-ending double play, leaving the rally fruitless. 

“The wind is a factor there, couldn’t hear umps but also that’s something we should know,” Baedke said. “I took the blame for that one because that was something that I should have been telling our runners, ‘Stay here, stay here, that’s an infield fly.’ So I take the blame for that one, but good time for it to happen and learn from it and do better next game.”

Worthington got its first run of the game in the top of the sixth. Olsen tracked down a pop fly behind the plate to start the inning but a Bailey Ponto walk and a Macie Mahlberg double put runners in scoring position. From there, a passed ball allowed the runners to advance and Ponto to cut the deficit to 3-1.

The Trojans threatened to cut the Tigers’ lead to one run when Madeline Petersen hit a grounder right up the middle in the same at-bat. Bjella fielded the ball and, after pump-faking to first, she threw the ball home and Olsen made the tag. Another strikeout ended the inning with Marshall’s lead still intact.

Ponto pitched all six frames for Worthington, holding Marshall to three earned runs and one unearned run on eight hits. She struck out one batter while walking two.

Marshall added one last insurance run in the sixth inning when Dekker drew a leadoff walk and stole second. After a strikeout put one away, Grahn hit a hard grounder to third base. The ball was fielded but a bad throw allowed Grahn to reach base safely and Dekker to score, making the score 4-1. 

The inning ended without further damage when a Brielle Riess liner to second base was slowed day by the wind and Marin Pederson fielded the ball in the air for a lineout. She then gunned the ball back to first place for the inning-ending double play. 

Now at the halfway point of the season, Marshall sits at 6-4 on the year. They’ll start their second half today when they go on the road to face Willmar at 5 p.m.

“I feel confident going into the second half of the season. We finally feel like we’re putting things together and getting runs when we need them and making plays when we need to,” Baedke said.