TMB 18,

Ortonville 3 (5 inn.) 

TRACY — A string of big hits and contagious offense led the Tracy-Milroy-Balaton softball team to a dominant 18-3 mercy-rule win over Ortonville Thursday evening. The Panthers scored seven runs in the second inning followed up with a six-run fourth inning to end the night early. 

Gretchen Lanoue had the largest hit of the night with a triple, and also led TMB with five RBIs off her three hits in her four at-bats. 

Rosa Vang and Brianna Duscher also recorded three hits for the Panthers, both going 3 for 3 at the plate with Vaus accounting for a team-high four runs. Duscher, Lanoue and Kendra Timmerman all had doubles on the night as well. 

Although Ortonville scored a run right at the top of the first inning, TMB pulled away early with two runs in the first before its seven-run second inning rally. The Trojans from there couldn’t find any answer to halt the Panthers’ momentum. 

Lanoue also pitched the entire night for TMB, throwing six strikeouts and one walk while allowing three earned runs. 

TMB controlled the game with 19 hits and no errors, to Ortonville’s eight hits and three errors. 

The Panthers (6-5) and will look for another win when it next takes on Murray County Central (9-2) on Monday at 4 p.m. in Tracy. 

GAME 1 (6 inn.)

TCU 11, Marshall 0

MONTGOMERY — The Marshall softball team couldn’t get any offensive rhythm started in a shutout 11-0 loss to Tri-City United in the first game of a doubleheader Thursday evening. 

TCU jumped to a 3-0 lead after the first inning, and continued to periodically add to their lead until bringing in another trio of runs in the bottom of the sixth to end the game in the sixth inning. 

Alissa Moen pitched the entire game, finishing with three strikeouts and one walk with six earned runs in her five innings. 

TCU’s Caleigh Hoefs also played the night in the circle, throwing for four strikeouts and one walk. 

Marshall finished with one hit, from Sara Dallman, and six errors, to TCU’s eight hits and one error. 

GAME 2 

TCU 10, Marshall 6 

MONTGOMERY — With both teams recording six hits in the second game of a doubleheader, it was Marshall’s errors that allowed Tri-City United to claim a 10-6 win behind a four-run fourth inning. 

In a scoreless final inning, Marshall attempted to come back late in the fifth and sixth innings, scoring two and three runs respectively, but the Tigers’ 8-1 deficit prior to the fifth inning was too much to fully recover from. 

Marshall finished with 11 errors to TCU’s seven. 

Bailynn Parsons led Marshall with three RBIs off a double with bases loaded, while Justine Kirst also had two hits and a pair of RBIs. 

Sara Dallman pitched all seven innings, finished with five strikeouts and two walks, while allowing one earned run. 

Caleigh Hoefs for TCU threw for four strikeouts, five walks and one earned run in her seven innings pitched. 

Marshall (0-15) will next have a week off from gameplay before hosting a doubleheader against Luverne and New Ulm next Thursday. The Tigers will face the Cardinals first, beginning at 4:30 p.m. with New Ulm to follow. 

Minneota/Canby 13,

MACCRAY 0 (5 inn.) 

RAYMOND — Madison Hennen pitched a near no-hitter and Joelle Otto went 4 for 4 at the plate to lead the Minneota/Canby softball team to a 13-0 shutout win over MACCRAY Thursday night in Raymond in five innings, its 13th consecutive victory. 

The Vikings scored their 13 runs off 13 hits with no errors, while the Wolverines recorded just one hit with two errors. 

Hennen pitched the entire night for Minneota, throwing 12 strikeouts with no walks.

Otto also led with a pair of RBIs, shared with Danni Kockelman, and accounted for a team-high three runs. 

Despite a scoreless first inning, Minneota/Canby cruised along with runs the rest of the night, powered by a four-run third inning and five runs in the fifth while staying strong defensively to end the game in mercy-rule. 

Jayla Jerzak had a triple on the night, while Otto, Kockelman and Emily Walker all hit doubles. 

Minneota/Canby’s base running also was aggressive, with Otto and Hennen each stealing a trio of bases. 

The Vikings (15-1) will look to keep their win streak going when it plays in a Saturday doubleheader, first playing Windom at 9 a.m. followed by Fairmont at 10:30 a.m. Both games will be played in Windom. 

MCC 4, RRC/WWG 3

SLAYTON — Kate Blankenship and Elyse Paulzine each recorded a pair of hits and a pair of RBIs to give the Murray County Central softball team an early lead in its Red Rock Conference matchup against Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove on Thursday. The Rebels scored a pair of runs in each of the first two innings and held on with their pitching and defense from there to claim a 4-3 win.

Trailing by a run with two outs in the bottom of the first, Thea Schneider and Kate Blankenship reached on a walk and a single before both scoring on an Elyse Paulzine single.

Schneider pitched all seven innings for the Rebels, striking out nine batters while giving up three earned runs on nine hits and a walk. 

For the Falcons, Carlie Ross gave up two earned and two unearned runs on eight hits and a pair of walks over six innings. She struck out six batters.

RRC/WWG tied up the game in the top of the second when Kendra Schroeder singled and then scored on a Natasha Wahl single, but MCC quickly reclaimed the lead. 

Kat Miller reached on an error, Ava Deacon singled and Schneider was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs. Blankenship came up to the plate and came up with another clutch hit for the Rebels, singling into left field to drive in a pair of runs for a 4-2 MCC lead. 

Schroeder led off the top of the fourth with a single and scored on a Ross double with two outs. Yet, a ground out ended the inning with RRC/WWG still a run shy of tying the game. The Falcons went on to put runners on first and second with two outs in the sixth, but weren’t able to force extras.

Ross recorded a game-high three hits with an RBI. She was one of two players with a double, along with Natasha Wahl. Wahl and Schroeder each had two hits for the Falcons as RRC/WWG outhit the Rebels 9-8.

MCC improves to 8-2 on the season with the win. Having won six of their last seven games, the Rebels will look to carry their recent momentum into Saturday, when they will take on BOLD (9-5) at the Wabasso Softball Tournament at 9 a.m.

With its third consecutive loss, RRC/WWG falls to 3-10 on the season and will look to bounce back on the road against Nicollet (9-3) on Monday at 4:30 p.m.

GAME 1 (6 Inn.)

YME 14, RCW 3

DANUBE — Bayli Sneller hit a home run and struck out 14 batters for the Yellow Medicine East softball team on Thursday, leading the Sting to a 14-3 Camden Conference win over Renville County West in six innings.

In the circle, Sneller shut out the Jaguars for the game’s first five innings before giving up three earned runs in the bottom of the sixth. She limited RCW to four hits and two walks in the win.

Sneller’s home run came at the top of the sixth inning. She fouled off a pair of pitched in an eight-pitch at-bat before blasting a ball into right field and turning on the jets for an inside-the-park home run, bringing the Sting’s lead to 10-0.

YME continued to hit effectively in the inning from there. Alana Almich drew a walk before scoring on an Emma Keller single, Everra Leenerts singled to put two runners on before both scored on a Riley Haar single and Haar scored on a Brianna Nelson single.

RCW got a double and a single to start the bottom of the sixth, and Mackenna Hinderks hit a three-run homer to cut the deficit to 11 runs. Yet, Sneller struck out each of the next thre batters she faced to hold on to the mercy-rule win.

In addition to her home run, Sneller also logged a triple and a single, tying Nelson for second on the team with three hits. Riley Haar had a pair of doubles and a pair of singles to lead the team, Nelson had a triple and two singles and Almich had a double, a single and two walks.

Sneller scored the game’s first run when she reached on a dropped third strike and scored on an Almich single in the top of the first. The Sting further extended their lead an inning later when Keller reached on an error before scoring on a two-out double by Haar, and Nelson drove in Haar with a triple.

Leading off the top of the third, a Sneller triple and an Almich walk put runners on the corners with no outs. Sneller scored on a passed ball and Almich scored when Leenerts reached on an error.

Haar singled in the top of the fourth before being replaced on first by Nelson via fielder’s choice, but consecutive RBI singles from Ella Cherveny and Sneller and an RBI double from Almich made the score 8-0. Haar also doubled in Leenerts in the fifth.

LQPV 12, Lakeview 7 

COTTONWOOD — The Lakeview softball team’s comeback attempt fell short in the final two innings, fighting back from an 11-1 deficit after the second inning. 

The Lakers fell behind early on after LQPV embarked on an eight-run first inning, but continued to put up a fight with a three-run sixth inning and two more in the seventh while tallying up 13 hits on the night, but the Eagles’ defense prevented more runs in the final frame with a strikeout, pop fly catch and infield ground out. 

The Lakers finished with two errors, while LQPV recorded 15 hits and four errors. 

Taylor Hinz led the Lakers offensively with three hits in her three at-bats and two runs, while Kiara Hinz had a team-high two RBIs. 

Teagen Fiene pitched the first two innings, throwing for one strikeouts and four walks while allowing 11 earned runs. 

Makenna Anderson came in as relief the rest of the night, and threw four strikeouts and three walks with one earned run in her five innings on the mound. 

Lakeview (5-8) will look to get back in the win column when it takes on MACCRAY on Saturday at Walnut Grove Plum Creek Park at 11:15 a.m.

ALSO AROUND THE AREA

KMS 11, Dawson-Boyd 0 (5 inn.)