Softball roundup: ACGC Falcons wins 2 more

GROVE CITY — The Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City softball team continued its impressive start to its 2023 season with a pair of wins over Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa on Monday.

The Falcons dominated the Jaguars in Game 1 en route to a 14-0 victory in five innings. Then in Game 2, ACGC earned a 19-13 win.

ACGC’s pair of wins marks their fifth and sixth wins of the season. The Falcons have already tripled the amount of wins they had in the entire 2022 season.

The Falcons held a 2-17 overall record and went 1-13 in Central Minnesota Conference play in 2022. Fast forward another spring, ACGC has a 6-1 record and 4-1 conference record in 2023.

So, what’s the recipe behind ACGC’s success so far this season? Falcons head coach Brad Nelson pointed straight to the work ethic of his team.“The girls keep getting better everyday,” Nelson said. “They are working hard and getting better. That has definitely been the number one thing.”

A team that returns nine starters and three of its starting pitchers, ACGC is showing the improvements it has made through the experience it has gained.

One of ACGC’s returning starting pitchers, Kendall Miller, posted a complete-game shutout in Game 1. She allowed five hits and two walks, striking out 11.

The Falcons’ bats were also alive in game one as four batters had at least three hits. Brooke Schultz led the way going 4-for-5 with three RBIs, three runs, two doubles, a triple and a stolen base. Haley Wilner, Mikaili Johnson and Miller all added three hits.

In Game 2, ACGC scored 10 runs in the top of the first inning and Miller earned another win in the circle. But BBE battled back as there were a combined 37 hits in the contest — 20 for the Falcons, 17 for the Jaguars.

Schultz once again led ACGC with four hits. But Macy Elton belted a home run for the Falcons, finishing 2-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs.

BBE’s Anna Jaeger and McKenna Lieser both had three hits. Jaeger went 3-for-4 with two runs, a pair of stolen bases and an RBI. Lieser hit 3-for-5 with two runs and a stolen base.

ACGC plays a doubleheader against Kimball beginning at 4 p.m. Thursday at River’s Edge Softball Complex in Waite Park. BBE takes on Royalton in a doubleheader at noon Thursday at a location to be announced.

ACGC   (10)41   021   1-19   20   0
BBE     503   020   3-13   17   0

Hitting - ACGC: Haley Wilner 3-4 2b r-3 rbi-4 bb hbp sb-4, Mikaili Johnson 3-5 2b r-2 rbi-3 bb sb-3, Mackenzie Powers 1-4 bb sb, Kendall Miller 3-5 2b rbi-2 sb, Macy Elton 2-5 hr r-2 rbi-3 sb-2, Haley Barker 2-3 r-4 bb-2 sb-3, Ally Giese 2-3 r-2 bb-2 sb, Brooke Schultz 4-5 2b-2 3b r-3 rbi-3 sb … BBE: Anna Jaeger 3-4 r-2 rbi hbp sb-2, McKenna Lieser 3-5 r-2 sb, Faith Radermacher 1-4 3b r rbi-2 bb sb, Taylor Shelton 1-4 r rbi-2 bb sb, Kacey Fischer 2-4 2b r-2 bb sb, Kadynce Haider 2-4 2b r-2 rbi-2 hbp sb, Brooklyn Fischer 1-2 r rbi bb-2 sb, Brenna Quade 2-4 r rbi sb-2, Bree Radermacher 2-3 rbi 

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - ACGC: Miller (W) 7-17-13-13-5-3 … BBE: F. Radermacher (L) 4.1-17-17-17-7-4, Mariah Koenig 2.2-3-2-2-1-1

BBE   000   00-0   4   0
ACGC     635   0x-14   14   0

Hitting - BBE: Anna Jaeger 1-2, McKenna Lieser 2-2, Kacey Fischer 1-2 sb … ACGC: Haley Wilner 2-3 3b r-2 rbi-2 sb-2, Jilyanii Sauceda 1-1, Mikaili Johnson 2-3 r-2 sb-3, Mackenzie Powers 2-4 2b r rbi-2, Brooke Johnson 0-1 r, Kendall Miller 1-1 2b rbi bb-2, Macy Elton 1-3 r sb-3, Kady Martin 2-2 r-2 bb sb-3, Kyla Bierwerth 1-1 r rbi bb-2 sb, Ally Giese 1-2 r bb sb-2, Brooke Schultz 1-2 2b r rbi-3 bb sb-2

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - BBE: Brenna Quade (L) 2-10-13-13-6-0, Mariah Koenig 2-4-1-1-1-3 … ACGC: Miller (W) 5-4-0-0-2-11

Paynesville earned a conference split with Eden Valley-Watkins by winning the nightcap after losing Game 1 at Paynesville.

In Game 2, Arianna Messer went 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs. Kaydence Roeske, Madison McNab, Kayla Topp and Charlotte Verrier all had two hits for the Bulldogs. McNab slugged a home run and got the complete-game pitching win.

In Game 1, Eden Valley-Watkins’ Amber Scherer tossed a complete-game win. She struck out six with no walks, allowed seven hits and no earned runs.

Paynesville   200   607   2-17   13   6
EVW              204   210   0-10   13   7

Hitting - Paynesville: Kaydence Roeske 2-6 r-3 2b rbi-3, Kylie Pauls 0-4 r-2, Arianna Messer 3-5 r-2 rbi-3, Sierra Rouser 2-5 r-2 rbi-2, Madison McNab 2-4 r hr rbi-3, Kayla Topp 2-4 r-2 rbi-2, Charlotte Verrier 2-4 r-2 2b-2 rbi-2 … EVW: Zoey Schmidt 3-4 r-2, Madison Price 3-4 rbi-3

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Paynesville: McNab (W) 7-13-10-5-1-2 … EVW: Brooklyn Glenz (L) 4-9-8-5-2-2, Amber Scherer 3-5-9-2-5-2

EVW                 102   006   0-9   5   4
Paynesville     000   400   2-7   6   4

Hitting - EVW: Whitney Jansen 1-3 r hr rbi, Brooklyn Glenz 1-2 r-2, Zoey Schmidt 1-4 r, MiCayden Schmitz 1-4 r … Paynesville: Kaydence Roeske 1-4 bb r, Arianna Messer 1-4 r rbi-3, Sierra Rouser 1-4 r, Keyona Brooks 1-3 r rbi-2 2b, Kayla Topp 1-3 r rbi, Charlotte Varrier 1-2 r 2b rbi, Madison McNab 1-3 r rbi

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - EVW: Amber Scherer (W) 7-7-7-0-0-6 … Paynesville: Messer (L) 7-5-9-0-6-14

Dassel-Cokato pitcher Aubrey Quern racked up 27 strikeouts, helping the Chargers to a pair of wins over New London-Spicer at Cokato.

In Game 1, Quern struck out 16 with seven hits and four walks allowed. Then in the nightcap, she sat down 11 with six hits and six walks given up.

The Wildcats’ Dalayne Hatlestad was 3-for-4 with a double in Game 1. Abby Knudsen went 3-for-3 with two RBIs in Game 2.

NLS (3-5) plays Glencoe-Silver Lake in a doubleheader Thursday in Glencoe.

D-C   008   121-12   17   0
NLS     020   000-2   6   4

Hitting - D-C: Emily Vacek 2-5 rbi, Chloe Vorwerk 1-4 hr rbi-3, Anyah Guennigsman 1-3 rbi, Madilynn Yager 2-4, Bree Hopkins 1-4, Hannah Putnam 3-4 hr rbi-2, Ashley Johnson 1-4, Hannah Corbin 2-4 hr rbi, Aubrey Quern 4-4 3b-2 rbi… NLS: Dalayne Hatlestad 1-4, Mallory Johnson 1-3, Brianna Wileman 1-2 2b, Abby Knudsen 3-3 2b rbi-2

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - D-C: Quern (W) 6-6-2-2-6-11 … NLS: Emily Ruter (L) 4.2-15-11-6-1-4, Sarah Kraemer 1.1-2-1-1-0-0

NLS   000   100   0-1   7   6
D-C      011   211   x-6   6   0

Hitting - NLS: Dalayne Hatlestad 3-4 2b, Mallory Johnson 2-2, Sydney Feist 1-3 rbi, Abby Knudsen 1-3 … D-C: Emily Vacek 1-2 rbi-2, Bree Hopkins 2-3, Hannah Putnam 2-3 2b rbi-2, Aubrey Quern 1-3 

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - NLS: Addilyn Nelson (L) 6-6-6-2-2-4 … D-C: Quern (W) 7-7-1-1-4-16

Rockford worked the base paths to the tune of 19 stolen bases in a four-inning Wright County Conference win over host Litchfield.

Leading the Rockets’ offense was Ellen Gordee. She went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs, two runs and a pair of stolen bases.

Grace Braaten was 2-for-2 for the Dragons while Claire Holmgren was 1-for-2 with a double.

Rockford    070   8-15   9   0
Litchfield      000   0-0   4   2

Hitting - Rockford: Kennedy Torborg 2-4 r-2 rbi-2 sb-3, Calla Koshiol 2-3 r-3 rbi-2 bb sb-3, Ellen Gordee 2-3 hr r-2 rbi-3 bb sb-3, Mae Weiss 1-1 r-2 rbi sb-3, Kaycie Roggenkamp 1-2 r-2 rbi bb sb-3, Shellie Virnig 1-1 2b r rbi bb-2 sb, Breann Blanchard 0-2 r rbi bb-2, Grace Feyen 0-1 r-2 bb-2 sb … Litchfield: Olivia Holmgren 1-2, Grace Braaten 2-2, Claire Holmgren 1-1 2b

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Rockford: Julia Houghton (W) 4-4-0-0-2-4 … Litchfield: C. Holmgren (L) 3.1-7-13-13-11-1, Caroline Grabow 0.2-2-2-2-1-0

Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg came away with a sweep at Ortonville.

Game 1 went five innings. Taylor VanHeuveln got the complete-game win, striking out nine, walking three and allowing two hits and no earned runs.

Shakira Olson went 3-for-4 with two triples, a homer, three runs and two RBIs for the Fighting Saints.

In Game 2, Maddy Anderson got the complete-game win, also in five innings. She struck out 10 and walked three, allowing five hits and two earned runs.

Olson had another big game, going 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. Katlyn Peters and Abby Holtkamp each had two hits for KMS.

Megan Strong was 2-for-3 for Ortonville in Game 2.

Ortonville   110   10-3   5   1
KMS     303   0x-6   8   0

Hitting - Ortonville: Megan Strong 2-3, Emma Anderson 1-3, Rylie Berge 1-2 2b, Tehya Hamann 1-2 … KMS: Shakira Olson 2-3 hr r rbi-3, Kya Oakes 1-3, Avery Joyce 1-3 2b r, Katlyn Peters 2-3 r, Abby Holtkamp 2-2 2b r 

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Ortonville: Olivia Nelson (L) 5-8-6-6-6-5 … KMS: Maddy Anderson (W) 5-5-3-2-3-10

KMS    117   15-15   12   0
Ortonville     000   01-1   2   4

Hitting - KMS: Shakira Olson 3-4 3b-2 hr r-3 rbi-2, Josie Gjerde 2-3 3b r, Kya Oakes 1-2 r rbi, Kathy Peters 1-3 r rbi, Amber Winzenburg 1-1 2b r, Abby Holtkamp 1-3 r-2 rbi-2, Maddy Anderson 1-3, Julia Carlson 1-3 r rbi … Ortonville: Megan Strong 1-2, Carly Olson 1-2 

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - KMS: Taylor VanHeuveln (W) 5-2-1-0-3-9 … Ortonville: Aubrey Zuraff (L) 5-12-15-10-2-6 

Trailing 4-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Dawson-Boyd’s Madison Peterson hit a three-run home run to cut Benson's lead to one. But the Blackjacks surrendered a pair of runs in the sixth to fall short against the Braves at Benson.

Benson’s six hits all came from different hitters. Dawson-Boyd’s Taylen Jorgenson was the only other Blackjack to record a hit outside of Peterson.

Benson plays two games on Wednesday, one against Swanville at 1 p.m. and another at 3 p.m. against Upsala. Both games will be played at Swanville. Dawson-Boyd plays in a doubleheader against Lac qui Parle Valley beginning at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Madison.

Benson      220   002   0-6   6   0
D-B             000   030   0-3   3   0

Hitting - Benson: Mya McGeary 1-4 2b sb-2, E. Krusemark 1-4 2b, Presley Nygaard 1-4 sb-3, Miranda Klassen 1-4 sb, Lillie Ostlie 1-3 sb-2, Megan Wrobleski 1-3, Gwen Wilcox 0-3 sb-2 … D-B: Madison Peterson 2-3 hr rbi-3, Taylen Jorgenson 1-3, Kate Dahl 0-3 bb, Allison Estling 0-4 bb sb r, Natyah Ritter 0-3 s r

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Benson: Nygaard (W) 7-3-3-3-3-5 … D-B: Madalyn Wente (L) 6-6-6-4-5-4