NORTH MANKATO -- The hits didn’t materialize when they needed to, and the Pipestone Area Arrows will play for third place in the 2019 Minnesota state high school girls fast-pitch Class AA softball tournament today (Friday) in North Mankato.
PA beat Concordia Academy-Roseville 4-0 in the quarterfinals on Thursday, but in the semifinals the Section 3 champions could not build a rally against Rochester Lourdes, which emerged a 2-1 winner.
The Arrows will play Thief River Falls at 11 a.m. for third.
Pipestone Area 4, Concordia Academy 0 The Arrows scored all four of their runs in the fourth inning, and officially without a hit.
Starting Concordia pitcher Madelynn Harre walked the leadoff hitter, April Haupert. After a ground ball by Kaitlin Draper resulted in a force out at second base, a sacrifice bunt by Paige Ahrendt put Draper on second, and a wild pitch moved her to third.
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When Mara Taubert bounced a pitch up the middle, Beacons second baseman Taylor Brunn bobbled it and a run scored. Taubert reached second on a delayed steal. Carmen Skyberg was walked intentionally, then a walk on a pitch that got by the catcher resulted in runners straddling second and third base for Jessa Reinert. Her grounder to third base with two outs was muffed, scoring two more runs as Remund out-raced the throw to first. The fourth run scored on a Mallary Remund ground ball that was booted.
The line score showed Pipestone Area with only one hit for the game -- a single by Remund in the third inning.
Meanwhile, Arrows pitcher Adrianna Johnson was sharp throughout, checking Concordia Academy on four hits. She walked two and struck out three.
Brunn entered the tournament as the Minnesota high school all-time hits leader, but she had just one hit (on a bunt) in three at bats.
Concordia Academy 000 000 0 -- 0 4 3Pipestone Area 000 400 x -- 4 1 0 Lourdes 2, Pipestone Area 1 Rochester Lourdes pitcher Anna Taylor held the Arrows to four hits. Pipestone Area’s only run came in the bottom of the seventh inning as Ahrendt doubled to the left-field fence, went to third on an overthrow and scored on a Johnson fly ball to right field.
The lack of fireworks through seven full innings is unusual for a Pipestone Area team -- and this 2019 team is participating in its fourth state tournament trip in a row.
“We just didn’t get the hits when we needed to,” said shortstop Mandy Miller.
The Arrows had the beginnings of scoring chances. But too many base runners were left stranded, and others were wiped off base. In the fourth, the Arrows had back-to-back hits with two outs, but the Eagles clamped down. PA had the top of the batting order rarin’ to go in the top of the sixth, as Miller was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. But she was caught in a rundown, 2-3-4-3, and tagged out.
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“You gotta give them credit. They got themselves out of situations. We just couldn’t string a few hits together,” said PA head coach Troy Bouman. “We just haven’t hit as well as we have all year up at this tournament. Maybe the pitching has something to do with that.”
Johnson pitched another good game in the losing cause, allowing just two runs on nine Rochester Lourdes hits.
“We’re playing tomorrow for a third-place game,” Bouman pointed out afterward. “And that’s good that we’re still playing now. We wanted to play in the state championship, but not everybody can play for that.”
Rochester Lourdes 001 001 0 -- 2 9 1Pipestone Area 000 000 1 -- 1 4 0
