MINNEAPOLIS — United South Central softball player Mariah Anderson has delivered all season.
On the biggest stage in the Class A championship game, the result was no different.
“She got in the circle and she just let it rip,” USC coach TJ Schmidtke said. “Once she got those first three strikeouts to start the game, she gave everybody confidence.
“We knew it was going to be a special night after that.”
Anderson was dominant, striking out 19 in a two-hit shutout as the Rebels beat Badger/Greenbush-Middle River 2-0 to claim the state title at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota on Friday night.
The game’s only two runs came in the bottom of the third inning. USC’s Carissa Hanson drew a one-out walk, which was followed by a Hannah Niebuhr single. Both would come around to score following a pair of BGMR errors and a bases-loaded walk.
“Their pitcher was good, she just changed speeds constantly,” Schmidtke said. “We hit a lot of balls hard, but we didn’t get hits on them. We put some pressure on them in the third.”
That was all Anderson would need. She scattered just two hits and walked none over the final four frames to secure the victory, facing just 23 batters and tossing 101 pitches.
It was a dominant state tournament for Anderson, who pitched three shutouts. In 19 innings, she allowed just four hits and no walks. She struck out a staggering 52 of the 62 batters she faced, and also led the Rebels with five hits in the tournament.
“She’s just got explosiveness on her ball, it’s tough for teams to catch up to,” Schmidtke said. “When other teams even foul a ball off, the crowd cheers and the dugout goes nuts.”
Anderson, Alivia Bruegger and Taylor Schroeder were named to the all-tournament team for the Rebels, while Schmidtke was named Class A Coach of the Year.
USC ended up claiming its first state softball championship in the program’s first trip to state. A huge contingent of USC fans made the trip north after packing Caswell Park earlier in the week to celebrate the occasion.
“It’s really pushed them to give their all,” Schmidtke said of the community support. “I’m just so happy the town got to experience this. …
“The red sea was back. It was fun to see.”