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Mavericks softball reaches 3AA final 3

MARSHALL — The Martin County West Mavericks experienced a case of deja vu on Saturday in Marshall. One year ago, the Mavericks beat Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta in the third round of the winner’s bracket in the Section 3AA playoffs before falling to the Pipestone Arrows.

On Saturday, the Mavericks repeated the pattern, beating the Tigers 8-7 in eight innings and lost to the Class AA, No. 3-ranked Arrows, 10-3.

Ironically, each team returned quite a few of its impact players, including the Arrows’ starting pitcher Shelby Bloemendaal. The junior gave up only three runs on five hits with eight strikeouts to lead the Arrows to the seven-run win against the Mavericks in the final round of the undefeated bracket.

Pipestone had previously beaten New London-Spicer, 14-4, in six innings to reach the final game of the day. The Arrows (23-1) will play the winner of the consolation bracket for the section championship at 5 p.m. Thursday in Marshall.

Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta (17-5) faces New London-Spicer (13-8) at 5 p.m. Tuesday in Marshall. The winner plays Martin County West (17-5) right after in the final round of the consolation bracket.

The Arrows built an early 4-0 lead over the Mavericks.

Taylor Nesvold singled to start the game, stole a base and provided the initial run on Logan Winter’s RBI base hit. Nesvold then collected an RBI on Abby Hollingsworth’s score in the second inning. Hollings-worth hit a double to get on base.

Winter, who went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, and Bloemendaal added two more runs in the third inning.

In the bottom half of the third, the Mavericks narrowed their deficit to one. Bloemendaal struck out Sydnee Hein before giving up a hit to Alyssa Williamson, who went 2-for-3, in the third inning. Jenna Steele then battled at the plate and eventually sent the ball over the fence for a two-run home run.

“Jenna had a really nice at-bat. She fouled off several pitches and then hit that one out,” Mavericks head coach Darrell Ziegler said.

Sierra Williamson followed with a single to right-center field and made her way home on Mercedes Moeller’s double for a 4-3 deficit.

But the Arrows held the Mavericks to one inning of scoring while getting runs in every inning but the seventh. Mavericks pitcher Sierra Williamson walked Adrianna Johnson, who scored on an error. Nesvold got hit with a pitch and used two stolen bases and Winter’s single to give the Arrows a 6-3 lead. Mandi Miller got hit with a pitch and scored on Tiffany Evans’ hit.

Kirsten Houg scored on a wild pitch in the fifth, while Bloemendaal and Hollingsworth produced runs in the sixth.

Nesvold, Bloemendaal and Hollingsworth, who doubled twice, contributed six runs equally for Pipestone.

“Defensively, we had quite a few mental lapses out there,” Ziegler said. “They (Arrows) like to run, they like to push the issue on the bases and we knew that. We’ve got to do a better job of being prepared for that type of situation.

“I know the kids were really working and looking forward to getting to this point of playing them (Pipestone) again. I think there were just a little bit of jitters.”

Jordan Stahl gave up four runs on seven hits and struck out six in 3 2/3 innings to take the loss, while Sierra Williamson allowed four runs on three hits with three walks and two strikeouts.

Freshman left-hander Shaylynn Anderson made her pitching debut in the contest, giving up two runs on two hits while walking three and striking out one in 1 1/3 innings on the mound.

“We’ve (coaching staff) been working with her and I’ve been telling her, ‘Be prepared because you’re probably going to get in at some point in these tournaments,'” Ziegler said. “She was in a tough situation against a really nice team.”

The Mavericks entered the game on the heels of a down-to-the-wire, eight-inning contest against the Tigers earlier in the day.

Alyssa Williamson scored the Mavericks’ first run in the first, but the Tigers used big at-bats to take a 3-1 lead. Bailey Marty tripled, while Emma Bowman and Piper Gibson doubled as the trio scored the Tigers’ runs in the first frame.

The Mavericks duplicated the scoring, however. Madison Klima, who walked; Eivey Kuehl, who singled; and Hein, who got a hit; allowed the Mavericks the 4-3 lead.

The Tigers later tied the game at 6-all when Kalley Hottory hit a two RBI single, scoring Liz Dietz and Karli Siegel with two out in the bottom of the fifth. Dietz got hit with a pitch, while Ashley Solvie got courtesy runner Siegel on base via an error.

“I had mentioned to our assistant coach after about two innings that it’s going to be a battle,” Ziegler said with a smile.

The two teams went back and forth scoring as Sierra Williamson homered in the top of the sixth. Bowman answered by crossing home on Brooke Gillespie’s double into center.

The Mavericks regained its lead in the eighth and settled down on defense to escape with the narrow victory. Sierra Williamson got a hit in the top of the eighth and wheeled home on Karlee Thiesse’s eventual game-winning RBI base hit.

“Karlee had a nice clutch hit and she came through with that big hit for us after Sierra had got on base in that game,” Ziegler said.

Sierra Williamson totaled four strikeouts while allowing four runs on five hits with one walk over 3 1/3 innings for the win. Stahl gave up one run on five hits, hit one batter and struck out three.

MCW 132 001 01–8 16 4

MACA 301 021 00–7 11 1

Sierra Williamson (WP), Jordan Stahl (4) and Mercedes Moeller. Brooke Gillespie (LP), Ashley Solvie (3), Gillespie (8) and Emma Bowman.

LOB–Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 10, Martin County West 9. 2B–Emma Bowman (MACA), Piper Gibson (MACA), Brooke Gillespie (MACA). 3B–Bailey Marty (MACA). HR–Sierra Williamson (MCW). SAC–Gibson (MACA).

PIP 112 312 0–10 12 1

MCW 003 000 0– 3 5 3

Jordan Stahl (LP), Sierra Williamson (3), Shaylynn Anderson (5), Stahl (7) and Mercedes Moeller. Shelby Bloemendaal (WP) and Logan Winter.

Section 3AA Baseball

Windom Area 4, Martin County West 3 — The South Sub-Section No. 3-seeded Eagles scored the game-winning run with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning to edge the No. 6-seeded Mavericks during Section 3AA, first-round baseball action on Saturday in Windom.

Windom Area (13-8), who lost a 4-2 second-round playoff decision to Luverne on Saturday, faces Pipestone Area at 7 p.m. Tuesday night in an elimination game in Windom.

Martin County West ended its season with a 6-13 record.

Colton Leiding went 2-for-4 with one RBI and a run scored to top the Mavericks’ six-hit performance.

Jesse Spear allowed two runs on six hits, struck out four and walked two in five frames pitched for MCW to receive no decision.

Noah Ringnell gave up two runs — one earned — on one hit, walked two, struck out two and hit one batter in 1 1/3 innings of relief to take the loss for the Mavericks.

Iowa Prep Baseball

North Union 1, Forest City 0 — Hunter Pierce fired a four-hit shutout to propel the Warriors to a 1-0 victory over the Indians during Iowa prep baseball action Friday night in Bancroft.

Pierce recorded 10 strikeouts and issued only one walk in seven innings of work to earn the complete-game victory.

North Union’s Trent Pedersen singled in the bottom of the seventh inning, stole second base and scored the game-winning run on Brody Fritche’s RBI double.

Blake Crawmer accounted for the Warriors’ third hit of the game.

Forest City starting pitcher Colton Shipman allowed one run on three hits, struck out a game-best 11 and walked one in 6 1/3 innings to absorb the loss.

North Union (3-0) travels to Clear Lake, Iowa, tonight for a 7:30 p.m. game.

Iowa Prep Softball

North Union 6-14, Forest City 4-1 — The Iowa Class 2A, No. 4-ranked Warriors swept a softball doubleheader with the Indians, 6-4 and 14-1, on Friday night in Swea City.

Bre Anderson went 2-for-4 with a home run, scored a run and generated a game-best four RBIs to power North Union to its 6-4 victory.

Anna Ingalls went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs to complement one run scored for North Union, while Maddie Rolling went 2-for-3 and scored a run.

Kyarsten Mullen doubled and scored a run for the Warriors, while Kate Anderson and Shawna Person each singled and crossed the plate once.

Ingalls allowed four runs — zero earned — on two hits, struck out 13 and issued two walks in seven innings of work to earn the complete-game victory.

Bre Anderson and Kate Anderson combined for five hits and seven RBIs to fuel the Warriors’ 14-1, five-inning rout.

Bre Anderson went 3-for-4 with a game-best four RBIs, while Kate Anderson went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a run scored.

Peyton Busch went 2-for-3 with two RBIs for the Warriors, while Ingalls went 1-for-3, walked twice and scored three times.

Mullen went 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored, while Person singled, walked twice and crossed the plate twice.

Kate Anderson allowed one run on four hits, struck out three and did not issue a walk in five frames to earn the complete-game victory for the Warriors.

North Union (4-0) travels to Estherville, Iowa, on Tuesday for a rescheduled game with Estherville-Lincoln Central.

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