Photo courtesy of John Draper, the Pipestone County Star: Minneota/Canby first baseman Kenadi Arndt makes a catch at first base during a Section 3AA softball game against Pipestone Area in Luverne on Thursday night. The Arrows handed the Vikings an 8-3 season-ending loss.

No. 4S Pipestone 8, No. 5S M/C 3

LUVERNE — A series of fifth-inning struggles decided the fate of the Minneota/Canby softball team on Thursday night. The fifth-seeded Vikings allowed five fifth-inning runs, which proved to be the difference in an 8-3 loss to the No. 4 Pipestone Arrows in their Section 3AA Tournament opener.

The game was tied at 2-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth when Pipestone surged ahead. They started the inning with back-to-back singles and, after a groundout, a two-run double gave the Arrows the lead. A walk put runners on the corners and an RBI double, an RBI single and a passed ball gave Pipestone an extra three runs for a 7-2 advantage.

Minneota/Canby came back with a run of its own in the top of the sixth when Kiersyn Hulzebos and Dakota Pesch hit consecutive doubles to push a run across the plate, Yet, a ground out and a double play ended the inning.

After Pipestone plated another insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, they retired the Vikings in order in the seventh to seal the game.

Madison Hennen pitched all six innings for the Vikings. She struck out five batters while allowing six earned runs on eight hits and a walk.

The Arrows scored a pair of runs in the first inning to take an early lead but Minneota/Canby battled back. Joelle Otto singled, advanced to second on a Brooke DeSmet walk, advanced to third on a ground out and scored on a Faith Myhre sacrifice to put the Vikings on the board.

One inning later, Kenadi Arndt singled and scored on a Hennen double to knot the game up at two runs apiece.

Minneota/Canby finishes its season at 14-7. The Vikings graduate four seniors in Arndt, Myhre, DeSmet and Grace Hennen.

No. 5N YME 7, No. 4N Benson 0

MADISON — The fifth-seeded Yellow Medicine East softball team had its offensive mojo going early in its Section 3A tournament North subsection first-round matchup against No. 4 Benson on Thursday night. The Sting scored five runs in the first three innings to run away with a 7-0 victory over the Braves.

Ella Cherveny got the Sting off to a strong start with her first of her game-high three hits on the day. She stole second, advanced to third on a Brianna Nelson bunt single but was caught trying to advance home on the play. Still, Nelson advanced to second on the throw, advanced to third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch for a 1-0 YME advantage.

Sneller tossed the complete-game shutout for the Sting, striking out 17 of the 26 batters she faced. She held the Braves to just two hits and a walk on the night.

While the first inning gave Sneller all the run support needed for the win, they really cracked the game open in the third inning. Once again, Ella Cherveny started the inning out with a single. She advanced to second on a wild pitch and stole third before Alana Almich drew a walk to put runners on the corners with two outs.

Abbie Winter doubled the YME lead with an RBI single and Bailey Mortenson drove in another run when she reached base on an error. Kourtney Peterson then emptied the bases with a two-run triple for a 5-0 YME lead.

In the top of the seventh, the Sting added an extra pair of insurance runs. Sneller led the inning off with a single and scored on an Almich triple. Almich then also scored on a Winter single to give the Sting a seven-run lead.

No. 1 LQPV 11, No. 5 YME 2

MADISON — Yellow Medicine East got knocked out of the Section 3A softball tournament winner’s bracket by top-seeded Lac qui Parle Valley in their second game of the day on Thursday. The Eagles scored nine third-inning runs to surge ahead and never looked back in the 11-2 win.

YME scored a pair of runs in the top of the third after Everra Leenerts reached on an error and scored on a wild pitch and Brianna Nelson walked and scored on an Alana ALmich single. That would be as long as YME would lead, however, as LQPV strung together four hits, three hit batters, an error and a walk for a nine-run bottom of the frame.

Nelson had two hits in the game for YME while Almich, Leenerts and Bayli Sneller each added another.

Sneller pitched the first 2 2/3 innings, allowing eight runs on four hits and four walks with four strikeouts. In relief, Abbie Winter allowed two earned runs and one unearned on five hits and a walk over 3 1/3 innings.

YME will next play Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa in the elimination bracket at the Marshall Softball Complex on Saturday at 1 p.m.

No. 1S E/SWC 14, No. 8S Lakeview 1

EDGERTON — The Lakeview softball team couldn’t find its offensive rhythm in its Section 3A Tournament opener on Thursday in Edgerton, dropping 14-1 to top-seeded Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian to end their season at 9-12.

The Lakers graduate just one senior in Olivia Hinz. Stats for Thursday’s game were unavailable at time of publication.

No. 5S B.O.L.D. 5, No. 4S MCC 4

EDGERTON — The Murray County Central softball team’s season came to an end on Thursday night after the fourth-seeded Rebels suffered a 5-4 loss to the fifth-seeded B.O.L.D. Warriors.

The Rebels graduate four seniors in Abby Loosbrock, Atalie Rosenbrook, Morgan Winter and Grace Buesing. Stats were unavailable at the time of publication.