SECTION 3AA SOFTBALL ROUNDUP: Worthington advances

NEW ULM — First rallying from a six-run deficit and then coming back from a three-run hole Tuesday afternoon, the seventh-seeded Worthington Trojans claimed an exciting 12-11 victory over the sixth-seeded Luverne Cardinals in an elimination game in the Section 3AA softball tournament.

Worthington (6-16), which lost 12-2 to second-seeded New Ulm earlier in the day, will play another elimination game today in Windom. The Trojans will take on St. James at 5:30 p.m.

“That was a nice win for us, coming back twice like the way we did,” Worthington head coach Sam Baumgartner said. “We started throwing more strikes and making more plays defensively as the game progressed, plus we really hit the ball well throughout our lineup.”

Luverne had an 8-2 lead after three innings, but Worthington scored six runs in the fourth to even the score. The Cardinals then had an 11-8 lead entering the sixth inning.

But Worthington scored four runs to take a 12-11 lead, as Jordan Wiertzema (2-for-5, three RBI) hit a two-run double before Kristen Dierks (2-for-4, two doubles) and Angela Robinson delivered an RBI double and an RBI single, respectively.

Luverne put two runners on with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but Robinson induced a game-ending groundout to secure the victory. Robinson pitched the final three and two-thirds innings to earn the win, striking out two and walking none.

Emily Ebbers and Erin Ebbers pitched earlier in the game for the Trojans, combining to walk six and strike out five in three and one-third innings.

Steph Behrens went 3-for-5 to lead the Trojans, while Lynn Harberts was 2-for-4 with a triple, and Carrie Timmerman went 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Luverne’s Kelsey Theesfeld, who pitched a complete game with four strikeouts and two walks, went 2-for-4 with three RBI.

Hilary Deragisch went 3-for-4, and Ashley Otten was 2-for-2 with three walks for Luverne, which ends its season with a record of 6-14.

Worthington managed just two hits in its game against New Ulm. Behrens singled and scored on an error in the first inning before Timmerman belted a home run over the fence later in the frame.

Dierks pitched three-plus innings for the Trojans, striking out four and walking four. Robinson finished the game, striking out three and walking none.

R H E

WHS 110 604 0 — 12 16 5

LHS 071 120 0 — 11 12 3

R H E

WHS 200 000 — 2 2 1

NU 400 611 — 12 15 1

JCC 11, Luverne 1; New Ulm 5, JCC 0

NEW ULM — Kelsey Hakes pitched a complete-game two-hitter to lead the third-seeded Jackson County Central Huskies to an opening-round victory over Luverne.

Hakes struck out four and walked four for JCC (13-8), which scored eight runs in the final three innings to end the game via the 10-run rule in the sixth.

Sara Luhmann went 4-for-5 with four RBI to lead the Huskies, while Kate Rentschler was 3-for-3 with a walk and two RBI, and Shalee Nelson went 2-for-4.

Luverne’s Kelsey Theesfeld pitched a complete game, striking out two and walking seven batters.

Katelyn Brands (RBI) and Caitlin Miller each had a single for Luverne, which scored a run in the third inning.

JCC then played second-seeded New Ulm in the second round, with the Eagles claiming a 5-0 victory.

Rentschler struck out seven and walked none in a complete-game effort. Nelson had two singles for JCC’s only hits.

JCC will play Marshall today in Windom, beginning at 4 p.m.

R H E

LHS 001 000 — 1 2 4

JCC 120 251 — 11 10 1

R H E

JCC 000 000 0 — 0 2 4

NU 102 020 x — 5 4 0

PA 14, Fairmont 0; PA 10, St. James 0

PIPESTONE — Bailey Bouman and Emily Larson combined to twirl a five-inning no-hitter in the opening round of the Section 3AA tournament, leading the top-seeded Pipestone Area Arrows past eighth-seeded Fairmont.

Bouman struck out seven batters in three perfect innings to earn the win, while Larson pitched the last two innings and issued a fourth-inning walk to go with one strikeout.

Brooke Henderson went 3-for-4 with three RBI to lead PA, which scored seven runs in the second to go up 8-0. Jesse Gergen and Megan VanderPoel (three runs, one RBI) were each 2-for-2.

PA (19-2) then played fifth-seeded St. James in the second round. The Saints advanced with a 14-8 victory over fourth-seeded Marshall, which then eliminated Fairmont by winning 29-3 in five innings.

Bouman tossed a complete-game, four-hit shutout against St. James, fanning 11 batters and walking one in six innings. She also went 2-for-4 with three RBI at the plate.

Henderson was 3-for-3 with an RBI, and Gergen went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Arrows, who will play BOLD Saturday in Marshall at 11 a.m.

R H E

FHS 000 00 — 0 0 1

PA 172 4x — 14 11 0

R H E

SJ 000 000 — 0 4 2

PA 114 013 — 10 10 0

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