TIP-TOE CATCH — Martin County West shortstop Taylor Elliott (right) stretches to glove a popup as Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove runner Ella Erickson (2) runs to third base during a Section 2A first-round playoff softball game Monday at Fox Lake Sports Complex in Welcome. (Photo by Greg Abel)

WELCOME — The No. 6-seeded Martin County West Mavericks combined to score eight runs in the fourth and fifth innings to run-rule the No. 11-seeded Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove Falcons 12-2 in a five-inning Section 2A playoff first-round softball game Monday at Fox Lake Area Sports Complex in Welcome.

Martin County West (11-8) advances to play No. 3-seeded Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s in a 5 p.m. second-round sectional game on Thursday in Sleepy Eye. Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s advanced by defeating No. 14-seeded Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop, 15-1.

Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove ended its season with a 6-12 overall record.

MCW spotted RCC/WWG an early 2-0 lead, but the Mavericks tied it with two runs in the first inning and went ahead 4-2 with two runs in the third inning.

A fielding error with two outs and no one on base gave the Mavericks the spark they needed and they scored five runs to build a commanding 9-2 lead.

The Mavericks ended with game with three runs in the fifth inning.

Lina Arnold was the winning pitcher, coming in with no outs and the bases loaded in the second inning for MCW. Maddie Carlson started, but was wild on the mound, walking five of the nine hitters she faced.

Arnold pitched the final four innings, giving up no runs on two hits, struck out two and did not issue a walk.

“We have been in this situation before this year when one girl doesn’t pitch too well and another comes in and pitches better,” MCW head coach Darrell Ziegler said. “Lina came in and got ahead of the hitters.”

Ivy Kokoruda had a good game behind the plate, catching a foul pop fly for the second out in the fourth and dove to make a brilliant catch to record the final out in the fourth. Kokoruda dove for the ball that was only a foot off the ground, but caught it before the ball touched the dirt.

The Mavericks committed two errors in the first inning and that was it for the game, while the Falcons finished with four miscues. All of MCW’s runs in the fourth inning were unearned.

Offensively for the Mavericks, Taylor Elliott was 3-for-3 and drove in four runs. Paige Anderson was 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and four RBIs, while Emily Anderson was 2-for-3 with a run scored, a walk, two RBIs and a triple.

Thea Anderson was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, two RBIs and a double for MCW, while Kokoruda had one hit, but reached base in three of her four trips to the plate after getting hit by a pitch twice and scored three runs.

RCC/WWG 200 00 — 2 2 4

MCW 202 53 — 12 10 2

Addeson Jenniges (LP) and Mercedes Myers. Maddie Carlson, Lina Arnold (2, WP) and Ivy Kokoruda.

LOB–RCC/WWG 7, MCW 6. 2B–Thea Anderson (MCW). 3B–Emily Anderson (MCW).

•

Sleepy Eye Public 7, Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman 4 — The No. 8-seeded Indians edged the No. 9-seeded Jaguars during first-round Section 2A softball playoff action Monday in Sleepy Eye.

Sleepy Eye Public advances to face No. 1-seeded Nicollet in a 5 p.m. second-round sectional game on Thursday in Nicollet. The Raiders received a first-round bye.

No individual or team statistics were reported by either softball program.