Area softball: Knights stay hot

WANAMINGO — The Knights have won three of four after Monday’s 10-5 victory over Hayfield.

Kenyon-Wanamingo survived a wild outing from Rachel Sandager, who issued eight walks, by pounding Hayfield’s Laura Wagner for 11 hits. Alyssa Way led the Knights with three hits, while Liz Gresth, Katelyn Schaefer and Marissa Lurken all finished with two apiece.

“We’re playing better,” K-W coach Matt Nelson said. “We’re pitching well enough to win and we’re hitting the ball well.”

Sandager allowed five hits in seven innings, but the walks proved costly. Four of the five runs were earned against her. She also struck out four.

Schaefer drove in two, while Lurken and Way combined to score five runs.

The Knights improve to 3-5 overall and 2-5 in the Hiawatha Valley League. They play host today to Lake City.

Pepin 10, Mondovi 1

MONDOVI, Wis. — The Lakers dominated the Buffaloes, but Pepin coach Matt Bellerive was still left wanting more. They left the bases loaded in the first and fifth innings, struggling once again with a slower pitcher.

“We just couldn’t get a timely hit,” Bellerive said. “It’s frustrating.”

Micky Dusek fanned 10 and allowed just three hits to pick up the win.

Jen Oberhart, Jolene Hince and Hannah Wicklund totaled two hits apiece for the Lakers, who improve to 5-5 overall and 5-3 in Dunn-St. Croix play.

Pepin plays host today to Elk Mound.

Saturday’s results

Lake City beats Goodhue

LAKE CITY — Junior Emily Sprick pitched a complete game — her second of the day — and allowed just three hits to help the Tigers beat Goodhue 5-1 in the title game of their own tourney.

Lake City coach Katie Luhmann credited much of Sprick’s success to her defense.

“Emily Sprick had five strikeouts and the defense cleaned up the rest,” Luhmann said.

The Tigers also played strong defense in their opener, a 5-0 victory over Mabel-Canton. Luhmann said it was the result of position changes: Senior Whitney Fick moved from first base to shortstop and junior Katie Loppnow went from shortstop to first base.

Fick was 3-for-4 with an RBI in the championship game. Sprick was 2-for-4 with a run and Loppnow was 1-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.

Junior Nikki Ryan led the way at the plate for a depleted Wildcats team. She was 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and a run scored. Senior Tracey Roschen took the loss.

Goodhue had four players in its startling lineup who usually play for the B squad because junior Ann Dicke was recovering from outpatient surgery and a few seniors had postsecondary commitments.

“It makes me feel really good about the status of our team that we can pull up some kids and still be really competitive,” Goodhue coach Chris Irvin said.

In their first game, the Wildcats scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning for a come-from-behind 4-3 win against St. Croix Lutheran.

Roschen earned the complete game win, striking out three and allowing one earned run.

Cougars go 1-1

NORTH ST. PAUL, Minn. — The purpose of attending the North St. Paul tournament was to play strong competition and they did that. Zumbrota-Mazeppa was not concerned with wins and losses.

That doesn’t mean their 4-3 loss in nine innings to Rocori didn’t sting. The Spartans plated an unearned run in the first inning after a pair of Z-M errors.

“That was the difference,” Cougars coach Kevin Nelson said. “We could have snuck out of there with a 1-0 win.”

Instead, it went to extra innings. The tournament adhered to the international tiebreaker rule, which put a runner at second base with no outs each inning.

Each team scored a run in the eighth. Z-M scored one in the ninth, but Rocori scored twice in the bottom of the inning to win.

In the second game against Mahtomedi, the Cougars did win 1-0. Senior Jessie St. Marie was hit by a pitch and scored on a squeeze play in the fourth inning. Classmate Blaire Hoven laid down the bunt.

Jess Hegseth pitched all 16 innings for the Cougars.

Z-M (14-1 overall) is at Winona Cotter today. Both teams are undefeated in the HVL.

Tags: sports, softball, kenyon, wanamingo