TMB 6, MCC 5

SLAYTON — A string of sixth-inning hits helped the Tracy-Milroy-Balaton softball team push past Murray County Central for a 6-5 non-conference win Thursday night.

The Panthers trailed 5-3 heading into the top of the sixth, but a Gretchen Lanoue single and an Alli Dolan walk put the tying run on first with one out. Bella Martinez capitalized with an RBI single and Piper Freeburg reached base on an error to load the bases, and a pair of fielder’s choices from Avery Torgeson and Rosa Vang pushed across two more runs to take the lead.

Lanoue earned the pitching win for TMB, limiting MCC to four earned runs on eight hits and a pair of walks in a complete-game effort.

Kate Blankenship also pitched a complete game for MCC, giving up three earned runs on seven hits and a walk.

Braelynn Kirk singled before scoring on a Vang single in the top of the fifth to tie the game at three runs apiece but MCC responded in the back of the frame to get into pole position. Blankenship singled before scoring a go-ahead run on a Calleigh Doeden single, and Jayda Hellewell reached on an error to give MCC a two-run cushion.

Lanoue and Martinez each had a pair of hits for TMB, including a double for Lanoue. Blankenship led MCC at the plate with a double, two singles and an RBI.

MCC scored a run in each of the first three innings, with a Hellewell RBI single giving the Rebels a 3-2 lead. In the top of the second, TMB scored both of its early runs when Lanoue doubled before scoring on a Dolan ground out, and Martinez singled with two outs before scoring when Torgeson reached base on an error to take a 2-1 lead.

TMB improves to 3-1 and next takes on Pipestone on the road, Friday at 4:30 p.m.

MCC falls to 2-3 and aims to get back to .500 when it travels to Tyler to take on the Russell-Tyler-Ruthton Knights on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.

BOX SCORE

TMB

BATTING

B. Kirk: 1-4, R, SB, SO; R. Vang: 1-3, HBP, 2 RBI; G. Lanoue: 2-4 (2B), 2 R, SB; A. Loftness: 1-4 (2B); A. Dolan: 0-3, BB, RBI, R; B. Martinez: 2-4, RBI, 2 R; P. Freeburg: 0-2, HBP; A. Torgeson: 0-3, RBI.

PITCHING

G. Lanoue: W, 7 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO.

MCC

BATTING

A. Deacon: 1-4, SB, R; K. Blankenship: 3-4 (2B), RBI, R, 2 SB; K. Miller: 0-3, BB, R; C. Doeden: 1-4, RBI, R, SB; J. Hellewell: 1-4, RBI; L. Kleven: 0-2, HBP, R, SO; A. Dierks: 0-2, BB; D. Neilson: 2-3, RBI, SO.

PITCHING

K. Blankenship: W, 7 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 3 ER, BB, 2 SO.

YME 2, Minnewaska 0

GRANITE FALLS — Bayli Sneller and Alana Almich’s first-inning RBIs gave the Yellow Medicine East softball team all the offense it needed when it hosted Minnewaska Area Thursday night. The Sting jumped out to an early lead and relied on their pitching and defense from there, claiming a 2-0 non-conference win.

In addition to driving in the go-ahead run, Sneller starred in the circle for YME. The senior pitcher struck out 14 batters over her complete-game shutout, limiting Minnewaska to a pair of hits and a walk.

Kourtney Peterson led off the bottom of the first for YME and scored on a Sneller double to take the lead. Almich kept the momentum going with an RBI single, capping off the night’s scoring.

Peterson finished with a pair of singles in the game, accounting for two of the Rabbits’ five hits. Sneller was the only other player to reach base multiple times, finishing with a double and a walk.

YME improves to 3-1 and next goes on the road for a Camden Conference doubleheader against Minneota/Canby on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.

BOX SCORE

BATTING

K. Peterson: 2-3, R; B. Nelson: 0-1, BB, HBP; B. Sneller: 1-2 (2B), RBI, BB, R; A. Almich: 1-3, RBI; C. Paslawski: 1-2, HBP.

PITCHING

B. Sneller: W, 7 IP, 2 H, BB, 14 SO.

GAME 1

Wabasso 10, SESM 9

GRANITE FALLS — Camryn Irlbeck’s sixth-inning RBI single made all the difference for the Wabasso softball team in the first game of its Tomahawk Conference doubleheader against Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s Thursday night. The hit broke a stalemate to give Wabasso a 10-9 win, and Delaina Eis sealed the deal by retiring each of the next six SESM batters.

Locked in a 9-9 tie, Kayleigha Johnson led off the top of the sixth and advanced all the way to third on a Sleepy Eye error. Irlbeck drove in the go-ahead run before Sleepy Eye retired each of the next six Wabasso batters, but the Rabbits had all the run support they needed.

Eis closed the game by pitching three shutout innings to earn the win. She limited the Knights to a hit and a walk with a strikeout.

Aylah Jenniges pitched each of the first four innings for Wabasso, surrendering eight earned runs on 11 hits and a pair of walks.

Sara Carlson and Eis were the lone rabbits with multiple hits in the game. Carlson logged a double and two singles, and Eis contributed a double, a single and two walks. Jenniges also reached base three times, all on walks.

Wabasso went into an early hole, giving up five runs over the first two innings to find itself in a 5-1 deficit. Yet, Eis reached base on a two-run error, scored herself on a Carlson double and Johnson drove in Carlson on a ground out to tie the game at five runs apiece in the top of the third.

The Rabbits took their first lead since the top of the first when a pair of Sleepy Eye errors gave them a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. The Knights roared back ahead with four runs in the bottom of the frame, but Wabasso tied it back up when Macy Rohlik reached on an error in the fifth, scoring Audrey Johnson and Jenniges after they reached on walks.

BOX SCORE

BATTING

A. Johnson: 0-4, BB, 2 R; A. Jenniges: 0-2, 3 BB, 3 R, 2 SB; M. Rohlik: 0-4, BB, RBI, SB, R, SO; D. Eis: 2-3 (2B), 2 BB, RBI, R; S. Carlson: 3-5 (2B), RBI, R; K. Johnson: 1-4, RBI; C. Irlbeck: 1-4, RBI, SO; C. Bliss: 1-4, SB, SO; A. Remiger: 1-3, BB, R, 2 SB, 2 SO.

PITCHING

A. Jenniges: 4 IP, 11 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO; D. Eis: W, 3 IP, H, BB, SO.

GAME 2

SESM 9, Wabasso 4

GRANITE FALLS — The Wabasso softball team wasn’t able to pull another rabbit out of its hat against Sleepy Eye in the second game of its Tomahawk Conference doubleheader Thursday night. After coming from behind to steal the first game, Wabasso’s bats couldn’t keep up in the nightcap as they fell 9-4 to the Knights.

Wabasso led 3-0 through the first four innings, but Sleepy Eye’s bats picked up late while Wabasso’s went quiet. The Knights scored a pair of runs in the fifth to get on the scoreboard, and a pair of Wabasso errors aided Sleepy Eye to a four-run go-ahead sixth inning.

Wabasso got a run back when Sara Carlson walked and scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the frame, but the Rabbits never recovered as the Knights tacked on three more runs in the seventh for good measure.

Delaina Eis took the loss in the circle for Wabasso, giving up three earned and four unearned runs on nine hits and five walks over 6 1/3 innings. She struck out four batters, and held Sleepy Eye scoreless for the game’s first four innings to give her a total of seven consecutive shutout frames over the course of the doubleheader.

Aylah Jenniges pitched the final two outs for Wabasso, walking three batters and giving up a pair of runs.

A walk to Peyton Jenniges and an Audrey Johnson single put runners on base for the Rabbits in the third inning of a scoreless tie. A passed ball advanced the two into scoring position before Macy Rohlik singled in Jenniges, and Eis hit a two-run single to make the score 3-0.

Johnson and Rohlik each accounted for two of Wabasso’s six hits in the game. Wabasso did not log an extra-base hit.

Thursday’s split brings the Rabbits to 5-2 on the season. Wabasso next takes to the diamond on Friday when it hosts Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian for a rematch of last year’s Section 3A championship game at 4:30 p.m.

BOX SCORE

BATTING

A. Johnson: 2-4, R; A. Jenniges: 1-2, BB; M. Rohlik: 2-4, RBI, SB, 4; D. Eis: 1-4, 2 RBI; S. Carlson: 0-3, BB, R; C. Irlbeck: 0-3, RBI; P. Jenniges: 0-2, BB, R.

PITCHING

D. Eis: L, 6.1 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 4 SO; A. Jenniges: 0.2 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, SO.