MANKATO -- Too many mental mistakes cost the Willmar softball team a first-round win against New Prague Tuesday.
The Cardinals, seeded No. 6 in the Section 2AAA playoffs, fell to No. 11 New Prague, 12-6.
Willmar pounded out 13 hits, but stranded nine runners and committed six errors.
"We had some not-so-smart base running and fielding," Cardinals coach Brent Pederson said. "We weren't playing smart, heads-up ball."
Willmar (10-9) falls to the loser's bracket to play the loser of the Mankato West-Minnetonka game Thursday at 5 p.m. at Mankato. Mankato West is the No. 1 seed.`
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New Prague scored 10 runs on six hits in three innings off Willmar starter Karlee Johnson, but only four were earned.
Still, Willmar managed a three-run rally in the third to tie the game at 4-4 on an RBI single from Allie Sweep and a two-run double by Amanda Croonquist.
But New Prague pushed six runs across in the bottom of the frame.
Hannah Pederson came in and allowed two unearned runs on three hits in four innings. She struck out eight and walked one.
Sarah Hulscher went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a double for Willmar (10-9). Britta Pederson, Britney Hastad, Sweep and Leah Peterson had two hits each.
New Prague 12, Willmar 6
Willmar 013 020 0 -- 6 13 6
New Prague 046 000 2 -- 12 9 1
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HITTING - New Prague: Ambroz 2-for-4, 4 rbi; Hoffman 2-for-5, 2 runs, 4 rbi ... Willmar: Britta Pederson 2-for-4; Britney Hastad 2-for-4; Allie Sweep 2-for-4, rbi; Sarah Hulscher 3-for-4, 2 runs, 2b; Bobbi Sather 1-for-3, rbi; Amanda Croonquist 1-for-3, 2b, 2 rbi; Leah Peterson 2-for-3, 2 rbi
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- New Prague: Wagnerfield (W) 7-13-6-4-0-6 ... Willmar: Karlee Johnson (L) 3-6-10-4-4-6, Hannah Pederson 4-3-2-0-1-8
