FIELDING HIS POSITION — Martin County West pitcher Zach Anderson (left) fires the baseball to first base to record an out on Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey batter Tanner Koetzle (right) as Wolverines’ teammate Sam Piddle (background) advances to third base on the sacrifice bunt during Thursday’s Section 2A first-round playoff game at Fox Lake Sports Complex in Welcome. (Photo by Charlie Sorrells)

WELCOME — Christian Bachenberg proved why head coach Phil Rotunda penciled him into the No. 3 spot in Martin County West’s batting order during Thursday’s baseball playoff opener.

Bachenberg went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles, produced a game-best four RBIs and scored two runs to ignite the No. 7-seeded Mavericks’ 12-4 victory over the No. 10-seeded Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey Wolverines during first-round Section 2A postseason play at Fox Lake Sports Complex in Welcome.

Martin County West (12-7) advances to face No. 2-seeded Madelia in a 5 p.m. sectional second-round clash Tuesday in Madelia. The Blackhawks gained the next round via an 8-0 opening win over No. 15-seeded Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda on Thursday.

The Wolverines ended their season with an 8-12 record.

“We came through with a lot of clutch hits in key situations tonight,” said Rotunda, whose lineup collected eight hits, with half going for doubles. “Bachy came through with a big sacrifice fly for us with the bases loaded in the second inning and later a two-run double in the fourth. Wyatt (Williamson) also delivered for us with a bases-loaded double in the fifth inning.

“That’s why we put those two guys in the Nos. 3 and 4 spots in our batting order.”

Maverick starting pitcher Zach Anderson assisted his own cause during the bottom of the first inning by drilling a leadoff double, moved to third on Kain Sanders’ sacrifice bunt and trotted home on Bachenberg’s RBI double into the right-center gap.

Bachenberg then circled the bases when Williamson’s grounder was thrown away at first base, with Williamson gaining second base on the play. Williamson took third on a wild pitch before scoring on Brice Enter’s RBI single to left field for a 3-0 MCW lead.

Wolverine starting pitcher Alexander Blom later issued consecutive walks to Lucas Larson, Anderson and Sanders to load the bases for MCW, with Bachenberg lofting a sacrifice fly to center to plate Larson for a four-run margin after two complete innings.

Kolby Kremmin’s pivotal two-run double sliced the Wolverines’ deficit in half at 4-2 during the top of the third before an error on Blom’s grounder allowed a solo run to cross the plate for MLAC in the top of the fourth.

Clinging to a 4-3 lead, Bachenburg triggered MCW’s pivotal four-run fourth at-bat by drilling a two-run double. One wild pitch and one of the Wolverines’ six errors during the playoff clash extended the Mavericks’ margin to 8-3.

Williamson delivered the majority of the Mavericks’ offensive damage during the bottom of the fifth when he swatted a three-run double to the left-center gap to widen the lead to 12-4.

Anderson demonstrated stellar command of his repertoire of pitches by recording a game-best 11 strikeouts and issuing only one walk in seven innings pitched to earn the complete-game victory. The junior right-hander allowed four runs — three earned — on eight hits.

Blom gave up nine runs on six hits, walked seven and struck out two in 4-plus innings on the mound to absorb the loss.

Anderson and Enter each went 2-for-4 for the Mavericks’ batting order. Sam Pidde went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored to top the Wolverines, while Kremmin went 3-for-5 with two RBIs.

MLAC 002 110 0 — 4 8 6

MCW 310 440 X — 12 8 4

Alexander Blom (LP), Evan Karschnik (5) and Jacob Evers. Zach Anderson (WP) and Christian Bachenberg.

LOB–Martin Co. West 8, Mt. Lake Area/Comfrey 6. 2B–Christian Bachenberg (MCW) 2, Zach Anderson (MCW), Wyatt Williamson (MCW), Sam Pidde (MLAC) and Kolby Kremmin (MLAC). SF–Christian Bachenberg (MCW). SAC–Kain Sanders (MCW), Tanner Koetzle (MLAC) and Cayden Moody (MLAC).

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Section 2AA Softball

Le Sueur-Henderson 7, Fairmont 0 — Junior ace hurler Chloe Brandt fired a two-hit shutout over six innings to steer the No. 2-seeded and defending Class AA state champion Giants to a second-round 7-0 playoff win over the No. 7-seeded Cardinals on Thursday in Henderson.

The Giants face No. 3-seeded Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial in a 2 p.m. undefeated-bracket game Saturday at Caswell Park in North Mankato.

Fairmont (6-14) plays No. 6-seeded New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva on Saturday in a 2 p.m. elimination game at Caswell Park.

Brandt recorded a game-best 12 strikeouts and issued one walk in six innings of work to earn the victory for LSH.

Anna Ehlert, Abby Sunken and Brylee Miller each singled off of Brandt for the Cardinals, while Allison Janssen drew a walk.

Rhyan Fritz went 3-for-4 with a solo HR and two runs scored to top the Giants’ 13-hit attack, Morgan Gregersen went 2-for-2 with three RBIs and a run scored, while Bailey Lehman contributed two hits and two runs scored.

Nevaeh Rahm allowed six runs on 10 hits, struck out seven and walked three in four innings pitched for Fairmont to take the loss.

Miller gave up one unearned run on three hits, struck out two and did not issue a walk in two innings of relief for the Cardinals.

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Section 2A Softball

Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s 15, Martin County West 0 (4 innings) — Lacey Mathiowetz hurled a three-hit complete-game shutout and the Hoffmanns supplied the offensive firepower to engineer the No. 3-seeded Knights’ run-rule sectional win over the No. 6-seeded Mavericks on Thursday in Sleepy Eye.

St. Mary’s faces No. 2-seeded New Ulm Cathedral in an unbeaten-bracket clash at 10 a.m. Saturday at Caswell Park in North Mankato.

Martin County West (11-9) battles Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart in a 10 a.m. elimination game Saturday at Caswell Park.

Mathiowetz displayed stellar control inside the pitching circle by notching five strikeouts without issuing a walk in four innings of work to net the win.

Addie Hoffmann generated three hits, including a double, and drove in a game-leading four runs for the Knights, while teammate Isabella Hoffmann doubled, singled and produced two RBIs.

Taylor Elliott doubled for MCW, while Lina Arnold and Emily Anderson collected one single apiece.

Arnold started and allowed seven runs on three hits and walked three in 1-plus inning to take the loss. Maddie Carlson gave up eight runs on six hits, struck out one and walked four in 2 2/3 innings of relief for the Mavericks.