WILLMAR -- The Willmar Cardinals lost their third one-run game of the season as Alexandria used a big second inning en route to upending Willmar 6-5 in Central Lakes Conference softball Thursday.
Alexandria plated four runs in the second to take a 5-2 lead before Willmar stormed back to get within one with a two-run sixth. Sarah Hulscher singled in Chelsey Wierschem and later scored on Bobbi Sather's single. But Willmar ended the inning by leaving runners on second and third base.
Alexandria then scored the eventual winning run in the seventh on a Willmar error. Willmar got within one again in the bottom half of the frame when Wierschem's groundout allowed Kelsey Kotzenmacher to score, but Alexandria starting pitcher Dani Bany then retired the last two batters with the bases empty.
Hulscher finished with three hits, including an RBI single in the first. Allie Sweep also singled in a run in the first for Willmar, which is off until hosting a CLC doubleheader with Sauk Rapids on Tuesday.
Alexandria 6, Willmar 5
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Alexandria 140 000 1 -- 6 8 1
Willmar 200 002 1 -- 5 7 2
HITTING - Alexandria: Sam Dale 3-for-4, 2 rbi; Kate Gearman 2-for-3, 2 runs ... Willmar: Sarah Hulscher 3-for-3, 2 rbi; Kelsey Kotzenmacher 1-for-1, 2b; Bobbi Sather 1-for-2, rbi; Allie Sweep 1-for-4, rbi; Leah Peterson 1-for-3
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- Alexandria: Dani Bany (W) 7-7-5-4-3-4 ... Willmar: Hanna Pederson (L) 7-8-6-4-4-4
