BEATING THE THROW — Truman/Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain runner Ella Nagorske (left) advances to third base on a stolen base as Blue Earth Area third baseman Taylor Klabunde looks to make a tag during season-opening nonconference softball action in Blue Earth on Monday afternoon. The visiting Jaguars went on to post a 13-3 win in seven innings. (Photo by Greg Abel)

BLUE EARTH — Ace right-hander Mandy Pytleski, shortstop Keira Benck and their Truman/ Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain teammates made Preston Rode’s softball coaching debut a memorable one.

Pytleski notched 11 strikeouts in firing a complete game to complement three hits and three runs scored from an offensive standpoint to power the visiting Jaguars to a 13-3, seven-inning triumph over the Blue Earth Area Bucs on Monday afternoon in Blue Earth.

Pytleski, who drilled a pair of doubles, and Benck each went 3-for-5 to trigger the Jaguars’ 10-hit performance during the nonconference season-opener for both teams. Benck — who made a run-saving over-the-shoulder catch from her shortstop position in the fifth inning — also scored two runs and matched Pytleski with one RBI each.

The hard-hitting Pytleski staked the purple-and-black attack to a quick 1-0 lead by crossing the plate on the heels of lining the first pitch of the game for a leadoff double. Pytleski wheeled to third base on a wild pitch before scoring on Londyn Bowers’ RBI fielder’s-choice grounder to third.

After Pytleski worked unscathed around the first of Kyla Roiger’s team-leading three hits during the Bucs’ bottom of the first inning, both Pytleski and Blue Earth Area starting pitcher Olivia Dutton retired the opposing offenses in order during the second frame.

Rode then switched gears within the Jaguars’ offensive framework during the top of the third and the strategy paid dividends.

“Having the girls get their bunts down with runners on base proved the key during our eight-run third at-bat,” said Rode. “I thought they made a great transition from practicing inside to then only having taken BP (batting practice) one time against living pitching to buying into playing ‘small ball’ was impressive.”

Caitlin Jordan deadened a perfect bunt hit to lead off the Jaguars’ third at-bat, Pytleski singled to left and Benck legged out a bunt hit along the first base line to jam the bases.

Bowers then lined an RBI single to left before Pytleski hustled home on a wild pitch for a 3-0 lead. Ella Nagorske reached on an RBI fielder’s choice before Bowers sprinted home on another Dutton wild pitch.

Madisen Lewis smacked an RBI single up the middle, Ashlyn Cook reached on an error and Addison Sill walked to load the bases again. Two more Jaguar runs scored on wild deliveries before Pytleski produced an RBI fielder’s choice for a 9-0 lead.

Pytleski then worked around back-to-back singles by Taylor Klabunde and Roiger during the home half of the third by recording back-to-back strikeouts.

“She threw a nice game for us today and for the most part, we played good defense behind her,” Rode said in reference to Pytleski’s seven-hit complete game.

Unfortunately for the Jaguars, an error on Clara Ziegler’s grounder allowed the Bucs to spoil Pytleski’s shutout bid during the last of the fourth. Claire Sullivan singled before flex runner Erika Gaydon eventually gained third base on wild pitches. Gaydon then crossed the plate on Ziegler’s left-side grounder that was misplayed.

Pytleski’s second double of the game and Benck’s infield hit set the stage for Nagorske’s clutch two-run double into the left-field corner with two out in the top of the sixth.

Trailing 11-1, Berkley Hagedorn and Ziegler drilled back-to-back one-out doubles in the sixth, with Hagedorn scoring, to extend the Bucs’ home opener to the regular distance.

Cook and Harley Geistfeld each walked and circled the bases when Jordan’s sharp grounder to third was mishandled to widen the Jaguars’ margin to 13-2. The Bucs answered with one run in the bottom of the seventh when Roiger singled and later scored on an errant throw to third on Kylee Eckmann’s groundout.

Pytleski allowed three runs — only one earned — on seven hits, struck out 11 and walked two in seven innings to earn the complete-game victory.

Dutton gave up eight runs on six hits, struck out six and issued only one walk in three innings pitched to absorb the loss.

Eckmann allowed five runs on four hits, fanned three, walked two and hit one batter in four innings of relief for BEA.

The Bucs (0-1) travel to Mapleton today to face Maple River in another non-league contest, while the Jaguars (1-0) play host to Cleveland tonight in Truman in a Valley Conference game.

TMLG       108 002 2 — 13 10 3

BEA           000 101 1 —   3   7 2

Mandy Pytleski (WP) and Ashlyn Cook. Olivia Dutton (LP), Kylee Eckmann (4) and Lily Olson, Ashlyn Klinkner (4).

LOB–BEA 7; TMLGHEC 5. 2B–Mandy Pytleski (TMLGHEC) 2, Ella Nagorske (TMLGHEC), Berkley Hagedorn (BEA) and Clara Ziegler (BEA).