NORTH MANKATO — Section title games are officially set for area high school softball squads. Here’s what happened during Tuesday’s Elimination Bracket action
Section 2A
Title game: Martin County West vs United South Central
Game 1: 5 p.m. Thursday, Caswell Park, Field 4
Game 2 (if necessary): 7 p.m. Thursday, Caswell Park, Field 4
What went down
United South Central 5 New Ulm Cathedral 2
Mariah Anderson finished 2 for 3 with a two-run home run and scored twice while allowing two earned runs off five hits with two walks and 16 strikeouts in a complete game effort. Olivia Bird drove in two runs and Ivy O’Rourke had two hits to get the Rebels to the elimination bracket title game.
United South Central 2 Nicollet 0
The Rebels found themselves in the elimination bracket with a 1-0 eight inning loss to Nicollet last week. The rematch saw the Rebels lead for nearly the entire game to get back to the section title game.
Anderson scored off an RBI sacrifice fly from Alivia Bruegger for a 1-0 lead in the first. USC went up 2-0 after a solo home run from Bruegger in the fourth frame. Anderson allowed two hits and walked none with 16 strikeouts in a complete game effort.
Brielle Osborne took the loss, allowing two earned runs off six hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Chloe Kachelmeier earned both of Nicollet’s hits.
Section 2AA
Title game: Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial vs Le Sueur-Henderson
Game 1: 5 p.m. Thursday, Caswell Park, Field 2
Game 2 (if necessary): 7 p.m. Thursday, Caswell Park, Field 2
What went down
Le Sueur-Henderson 4 Belle Plaine 3
The Giants trailed 3-1 entering the bottom of the fifth. Everything was knotted 3-3 entering the sixth after a sacrifice fly and an error plated two runs. Then Anyssa Christ ripped a one-out single in the bottom of the sixth for the go-ahead run in the elimination bracket semifinal game.
Violet Schaefer finished 2 for 3 and scored twice. Ruby Fritz finished 2 for 3 and allowed two earned runs off five hits with no walks or strikeouts. Tori Hutton took the win, allowing one earned run off three hits and a walk with three strikeouts across three innings of relief.
Le Sueur-Henderson 2 St. James 1 (9 innings)
Bottom of the ninth, two outs, runner on second, tie ball game It’s nearly every child’s dream, but in this scenario it was reality for D’Lisa Flores.
She ripped a 1-0 pitch onto the ground, but the second Saints error in the frame allowed Flores to safely reach first and allowed Tori Hutton, who bolted out of second base like an arrow fired out of a bow with a tailwind. She crossed home plate safely for the walk-off win.
A two-out RBI single from Jacey Swanson gave the Saints the lead in extras. The Giants had A Hutton on second after a lead-off single. Then Schaefer came up with a two-out RBI single to tie the game.
Hutton claimed the win, allowing an earned run off four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts across nine innings. Laney Bowers took the loss, allowing two runs (none earned) off four hits and no walks with nine strikeouts.
Section 2AAA
Title game: Mankato East vs St. Peter
Game 1: 5 p.m. Thursday, Caswell Park, Field 1
Game 2 (if necessary): 7 p.m. Thursday, Caswell Park, Field 1
What went down
St. Peter 3 Jordan 1
The Saints punched their ticket to Thursday’s title game in dramatic fashion. Courtlynn Spessard ripped the first pitch of her at bat in the bottom of the seventh over the left field fence for a walk-off two-run home run.
Auden Anderson earned the win, allowing one earned run off four hits and three walks with a strikeout.