WHS SOFTBALL: Arrows take two from Trojans

WORTHINGTON — Pipestone Area opened up the season with a Southwest Conference sweep of Worthington in a doubleheader Thursday at Centennial Park in Worthington.

PA cruised to an 11-0 win in the first game and used a seven-run sixth inning to win the night cap 8-4.

“(The second game) put some pressure on our girls and I was happy to see us come through and put eight up,” PA coach Troy Bouman. “You never want your team to lose, but being in that situation and coming back and winning, let’s them know that we’ve been in this situation before and we can come back and win.

“It helps build confidence in our girls.”

Game 1 was all PA. Kelly Nettick began the scoring with a double which plated Cassie Evans in the top of the first. A groundout for Amanda Haupert scored Mikayla Enger in the top of the second to make it 2-0 Arrows.

PA put up three runs in the top of the third behind a two-run double from Enger and an RBI-single from Libby Schneider. Brittany Evans scored on a Worthington error in the top half of the fourth before the Arrows opened up the game in the final frame.

Paige Petersen hit a one-out double and moved to third on a Worthington error at which point Emily Mabon came in to pinch run for her. Tiffany Woelber hit a bunt back to Trojan pitcher Angela Robinson. Robinson faked to first and had Mabon tied up at third, but Mabon made it back, as Woelber scampered to second. A throw to second ended up in the right field corner, scoring Mabon and Woelber making a routine groundout turn into two runs for the Arrows to make it 8-0.

Two batters later, Laura Rudie scored on another Worthington error to make it 9-0. After Brittany Evans reached on an error, back-to-back singles from Haupert and Cassie Evans plated two more to cap the scoring for PA.

PA’s Tasia Woelber didn’t need help from either team. Woelber pitched all seven innings, striking out 13, walking three and giving up two hits. Angela Robinson went the distance for Worthington, giving up just four earned runs and striking out six, but the 10 errors were too much to overcome.

“It’s kind of been the thing we knew going into the season was going to be a rough spot,” WHS coach Sam Baumgartner said. “Our youth and our inexperience and our lack of communications in some plays just cost us.”

In Game 2, errors reared their ugly heads yet again for the Trojans, as a 4-1 lead turned into an 8-4 deficit behind four errors in one inning.

A sacrifice fly by Enger scored Mabon to make it 1-0 in the bottom of the second for PA.

Worthington answered in the top of the fourth. Paige Kinley reached on an error and Yadira Barragan singled to open up the inning. After two groundouts, Jenny Majerus and Brandie Timmerman worked back-to-back walks to load the bases and Kinley scampered home on a wild pitch to tie the game.

Rebecca Linder hit a single and Karsa Honius worked a walk to open up the top of the fifth for the Trojans. After a strikeout and sacrifice bunt, K.C. Riley walked to load the bases with two outs. Robinson sent a changeup to the gap to clear the bases and give the Trojans a 4-1 lead.

It would not last very long.

PA would send 13 batters to the plate to score eight runs with some help from Worthington’s defense.

Cassie Evans singled and Nettick reached on an error to start the inning. Petersen singled home Cassie Evans and Tiffany Woelber followed with a bunt single. A pop fly was dropped in centerfield, scoring Nettick to cut the lead to 4-3.

Then the floodgates opened.

Schneider reached base on miscommunication from the Trojan defense to load the bases, Tasia Woelber hit a soft single up the middle with the infield in to score two, Brittany Evans put down a bunt which was thrown away scoring two more and a Haupert line drive was dropped, scoring Brittany Evans to make it 8-4 Arrows.

“We had four errors in the inning and that was the story of the ballgame,” Baumgartner said. “They took it away from us. We had a chance to win it and they came in and took it away from us.

“Once that momentum shifted, Pipestone were like sharks and they smelled the blood in the water. It doesn’t matter what the uniform is on the other side of the field. It comes down to making plays and not letting the psyche of whoever is over there affect you. You just have to make plays.”

Petersen plated a run on an infield single to make it 9-4 and, other than a Riley single, Tasia Woelber pitched a perfect top of the seventh to make PA 2-0 overall and in the SWC.

“We have a really good team this year and I’m really proud of them how they came back,” Tasia Woelber said. “I think it really shows our team strength and it just shows a good team.”

Worthington will take on Southwestern United today in Brewster and PA will play Brandon Valley Tuesday.

Game 1 R H E

PA 113 100 5 — 11 10 1

WHS 000 000 0 — 0 2 10

Game 2 R H E

WHS 000 130 0 — 4 5 5

PA 010 008 X — 9 8 1

Daily Globe Sports Editor Chris Murphy can be reached at 376-7328.

Tags: pipestone area, sports, prep, baseball, trojans