In what could arguably be called the strongest softball sub-section in Class AA, New London-Spicer, Minnewaska and Paynesville all emerged with wins in Section 6AA-West action on Friday.
The top six teams in 6AA-West have winning records.
New London-Spicer blanked Albany 4-0, just three days after losing to the Huskies 4-1 in a West Central North Conference game.
Minnewaska throttled Sauk Centre 10-0. And Paynesville blanked Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 3-0.
The semifinals will be played Tuesday in Melrose. Top-seeded Rocori will face No. 5 New London-Spicer at 5 p.m. and No. 3 Paynesville meets No. 2 Minnewaska at 7 p.m. The championship is Thursday at 5 p.m. in Melrose.
ADVERTISEMENT
New London-Spicer 4, Albany 0
Jessica Rosendahl spun a one-hit shutout with eight strikeouts and also went 2-for-3 at the plate to help lift the Wildcats (13-6) into the second round.
NLS opened its scoring in the second inning when Aasta Bakke hit a two-out single that brought in Hannah Setterberg and Rosendahl.
Two more runs followed in the third when Erika Norris doubled in Megan Bergeson and Karli Wendlandt knocked in Jenna Moritz with a fielder's choice.
Alyssa Stengler had the lone hits for Albany (16-5).
NLS (13-6) 022 000 0 -- 4 9 1
Albany (16-5) 000 000 0 -- 0 1 1
HITTING - New London-Spicer: Taylor Thompsen 1-for-4; Megan Bergeson 1-for-3; Jenna Moritz 1-for-3; Erika Norris 1-for-2, 2b, rbi; Allison Ruter 1-for-3; Hannah Setterberg 1-for-3; Jessica Rosendahl 2-for-3; Aasta Bakke 1-for-3, 2 rbi ... Albany: Alyssa Stengler 1-for-3
ADVERTISEMENT
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- New London-Spicer: Jessica Rosendahl (W) 7-1-0-0-1-8 ... Albany: Karli Pearsson (L) 7-9-4-4-0-2
Minnewaska 10, Sauk Centre 0
Laura Paulson and Kaylee Jacobs combined to throw a five-inning no-hitter.
Paulson pitched the first four innings and Jacobs pitched the fifth. Neither pitcher walked a batter, but the Lakers committed two errors to spoil a chance for a perfect game.
Abby Kreitlow highlighted an eight-run second inning with a two-run triple of the fence. Brooke Falk knocked an RBI double off the fence later in the inning.
SC (4-15) 000 00 -- 0 0 3
Waska (17-3) 280 0x -- 10 10 2
HITTING - Sauk Centre: no hits ... Minnewaska: Abby Kreitlow 1-for-2, 3b, 2 rbi; Jordan Stalker 1-for-3, rbi; Laura Paulson 1-for-2, 2b, 2 rbi; Breanna Jenks 2-for-2, 2 2b's, rbi; Brooke Falk 1-for-2, 2b, rbi; Jillian Hendrickson 1-for-2; Kaylyn Oberg 1-for-2; Brooke Winter 1-for-2
ADVERTISEMENT
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- Sauk Centre: Kourtney Nelson (L) 4-10-10-7-1-4 ... Minnewaska: Laura Paulson (W) 4-0-0-0-0-5; Kaylee Jacobs 1-0-0-0-0-0
Paynesville 3, L.Prairie-Grey Eagle 0
The Bulldogs scored one run in the fourth on a throwing error and two more on Kenzie Meagher's two-out double to center field in the sixth.
Whitney Woehler cuffed LPGE, holding the Thunder to two hits for the shutout win. She struck out four and walked one.
LPGE had a threat in the third inning as Ashley Welters doubled and went to third on a ground out, but a second ground-ball out ended the inning.
The Thunder also had runners at first and third with two outs in the seventh but failed to score a run.
LPGE (11-9) 000 000 0 -- 0 2 1
Paynesville (17-3) 000 102 x -- 3 4 1
ADVERTISEMENT
HITTING - Long Prairie-Grey Eagle: Alex Miller 1-for-3; Ashley Welters 1-for-2 ... Paynesville: Kayla Lieser 1-for-2, 2 runs, 2b; Taylor Haag 1-for-3; Whitney Woehler 1-for-3, 2b; Kenzie Meagher 1-for-2, 2b, 2 rbi
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- Long Prairie-Grey Eagle: Carrie Blommel (L) 6-4-3-2-2-5 ... Paynesville: Whitney Woehler 7-2-0-0-1-4
