Photo by Travis Rosenau/The Journal Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove’s Hadley Jenniges (4) smiles and tosses the ball down after catching the final out of Wednesday’s Section 2A softball playoff game against Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s at Prairie View Park in Sleepy Eye.

SLEEPY EYE — Consistent hitting allowed the ninth-seeded Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove softball team to overcome five errors against Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s for an 8-4 win in the first round of the Section 2A tournament.

RRC/WWG pushed a pair of runs across the plate with two outs in the first inning when Ella Knakmuhs drove in Natalie Wahl and Carlie Ross drew a bases-loaded walk to score DeAnn Roiger. The Knights responded with an RBI double with two outs in the bottom of the frame but an Addeson Jenniges single followed by a Wahl RBI double with two outs gave RRC/WWG an early 3-1 lead.

Jenniges pitched all seven innings for RRC/WWG. She allowed two earned runs and two unearned on six hits and four walks while striking out four batters.

Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s got an unearned run back in the bottom of the third but RRC/WWG pulled away with three runs in the fourth. Walks to Jenniges and Ella Erickson and a Natalie Wahl single loaded the bases with one out and, after a strikeout put two down, an RBI single from Mercedes Myers and a two-run single from Ella Knakmuhs gave the Falcons a 6-2 lead.

RRC/WWG added another run in each of the sixth and seventh innings, with Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s adding two in the bottom of the sixth, to hold on for the iwin.

RRC/WWG outhit Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s 12-6. Wahl and Knakmuhs each had three hits, with Knakmuhs racking up a game-high four RBIs and Wahl adding another two. Wahl also drew one of the Falcons’ six walks on the day.

RRC/WWG will remain on the road to face top-seeded New Ulm Cathedral in the second round of the double-elimination tournament today at 5 p.m.