TYLER — Facing as much as a six-run deficit, the Russell-Tyler-Ruthton softball team came back for an 8-7 win Monday evening behind efficient pitching from Jaida Fricke and Laken Baartman’s strong hitting, including a home run and a double. 

The night saw a trio of homers, with YME’s Alana Almich and Emma Keller joining Baartman. 

Almich hit a home run to left field in the top of the seventh inning, in the Sting’s last at-bat, to bring the game back within one run, 8-7, before Fricke threw three straight strikeouts to end the game. 

Keller hit an inside-the-park grand slam on a hard ground ball with bases loaded to left field in YME’s first at-bat of the night, resulting in an early 5-0 Sting lead. Brianna Nelson scored the first run after an infield single, eventually running home after two more YME hits and a walk with loaded bases. 

Baartman hit her homer run on a fly ball to left field in the bottom of the third inning for RTR’s first run of the night, resulting to her being intentionally walked in the bottom of the sixth amid the Knight’s rally back with bases loaded, giving Payton Johansen home to tie the game up 6-6. 

Keeping bases occupied, Fricke hit a single line drive to center field to score Audrey Schreurs for RTR’s go-ahead run, and then earned an 8-6 lead off a Paisley Thooft single line drive to bring home Ellie Dybdahl from third. 

YME took a 6-0 lead to begin the game with its five-run first inning and scored another run in the third. Baartman’s homer in the third was paired with a three-run fifth inning before the Knights’ final four runs in the sixth to take the win. 

Fricke was on the mound all seven innings for RTR, finishing with 10 strikeouts and three walks, while allowing seven hits and five earned runs. 

Baartman led with her two hits from two at-bats, along with a pair of RBIs, while Fricke had a team-high three RBIs. 

RTR finished with nine hits and three errors, 

YME finished with seven hits and no errors, and was led offensively by Keller with four RBIs off her one hit. 

Pitching-wise for the Sting, Bayli Sneller threw for 4 2/3 innings and finished with eight strikeouts, one walk, four hits and one earned run. Riley Haar finished the final 1 1/3 innings, with three strikeouts and two walks, while allowing five hits and seven earned runs. 

RTR (5-10) will look for another win when it next hosts Adrian Ellsworth today in Tyler at 4:30 p.m. 

YME (4-5) also returns to the diamond today to host Tracy-Milroy-Balaton (5-3) with a 4:30 p.m. first pitch.  

Wabasso 16, GFW 2 (5 inn.) 

WINTHROP — An overall strong hitting team effort served the Wabasso softball team well in a 16-2 mercy-rule win Monday night over Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop behind a nine-run fifth inning. 

Audrey Johnson went 3 for 3 at the plate and accounted for a team-best three runs, and shared a team-high three RBIs alongside Aylah Jenniges. 

Johnson had a double on the night, and Camryn Irlbeck had the Rabbits’ largest hit with a triple in the fifth inning. 

Wabasso finished with 12 hits and two errors, while holding GFW to just two hits and one error. 

Jenniges pitched all five innings, throwing six strikeouts and one walk. 

GFW started the night with a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first inning, and it wasn’t until the third inning that Wabasso exploded for six runs, with one more in the fourth. 

With a 7-2 lead heading into the fifth inning, Irlbeck got the nine-run rally started with her triple on a line drive to left field, bringing in Kayleigha Johnson from first base, who was initially walked. 

Johnson, Jenniges and Irlbeck all hit RBI singles for a handful of runs to add to Wabasso’s momentum, putting the game ahead by more than 10 runs and held GFW off from continuing the game in the bottom of the fifth. 

Wabasso (9-3) will look for its third straight win when it returns home to host Lester Prairie on Friday at 4:30 p.m. 

RCW 11, Dawson-Boyd 1 (6 inn.)

RENVILLE — The Dawson-Boyd softball team couldn’t find an answer to Mackenna Hinderks’ pitching, resulting in an 11-1 loss Monday night on the road. 

The Blackjacks’ lone run came in the third inning with Quinn Larson being walked, and eventually getting home from stealing second and third base, and stole home off a Natyah Ritter sacrifice ground out at first base. 

Hinderks pitched the entire game for the Jaguars, and threw 16 strikeouts and four walks. 

RCW put Dawson-Boyd in a tough spot with an early 7-0 lead after the second inning. 

Shay Bothun and Kadyn Perkins split time in the circle for the Blackjacks, with Bothun pitching the first three innings. 

Bothun recorded eight strikeouts and five walks, while allowing four hits and seven earned runs. 

Perkins relieved the final 2 2/3 innings, and finished with six strikeouts, five walks, three hits and four earned runs. 

Dawson-Boyd (2-8) will next host Minneota/Canby (12-1) today at 4:30 p.m.