Beatty blast lifts NU in bottom of seventh

By JEN SEAVEY

Journal Sports Editor

NEW ULM -- Although the New Ulm girls were down 2-0 to Blue Earth Area in the bottom of the seventh and shortstop Martha Beatty hadn't gotten farther than second base in the game, it didn't stop her in her last at-bat.

"I knew I was struggling the first few times up to the plate," Beatty said. "I knew I had to make contact with the ball. I knew I had to step up for the team."

Beatty drove a 3-2 pitch to right field for a base hit, driving in Amy Waldner and Jessica Sperling for the tie, and when BEA's Amanda Cyphers bobbled it, she went on to third, hesitated, then headed home for the 3-2 win over BEA (6-4) Thursday.

"I knew I was going to two," Beatty said. "I just watched coach, and he kept waving me on. I thought he was going to wave me home, but he held me up, and when the throw was off, he sent me home."

Sperling had hit a short single to right and Waldner hit one up the middle to put two on base.

in the first four innings, the Eagles had stranded six batters. In the second and third, New Ulm had runners on first and second with only one out, but could not get any further.

Sam Schmit was stranded twice as she went 2-for-2.

"We weren't making really great contact with the ball," Beatty said. "We struggled in the middle, and we knew we couldn't keep playing that way."

The Eagles also struggled with a few costly errors early in the game. In the first inning, an error by the shortstop allowed BEA's very first batter to score after getting on base with a double to short left field. New Ulm also had one more error that inning. In the third inning, the Buccaneers went up 2-0 when Kelsey Thompson had a single to left and an error allowed her to go to second and another allowed her to score two batters later.

"It seemed like we were struggling a little bit in the field and at the plate," coach Jim Pearson. "We played well enough in the end to eke out a win. Blue Earth is a good team too."

Junior Amanda Bode pitched the first three innings for the Eagles, giving up four hits, two runs and a walk, striking out one. Jocelyn Janni came in for the last four innings for the win, striking out two and giving up two hits.

The Eagles (4-4, 3-1) host Fairmont Tuesday.

The New Ulm B-squad softball team won 11-0. Ciarra Steinhauser got the win, striking out two. Liz Reedy went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.

Cathedral 6, GFW 2

Cathedral 3, GFW 2

WINTHROP -- Cathedral downed Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop in both games of the doubleheader.

The winning pitcher was Julie Seifert with nine strikeouts, giving up five hits. Teammate Katie Stueber went 2-for-3 with an RBI, Chelsey Beranek went 2-for-3 and Mandy Domeier went 1-for-1 with a two-run double.

Taking the loss for GFW was Nea Harkness. Teammate Shannon Murphy went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

In the second game, Seifert earned the win giving up only three hits, four walks and throwing four strikeouts. Jenna Schugel went 2-for-2 with two RBIs.

Taking the loss for GFW was Nea Harkness with four hits, three strikeouts and one walk.

Cathedral (10-0, 9-0) plays at Sleepy Eye Monday.

The Cathedral B-squad won both games 10-0. Sara Berg threw one-hitter with nine strikeouts; she also had a double and two RBIs. In the second game, Meghan Schwartz threw a no-hitter with five strikeouts.

RRC 11, SWU 0

SANBORN -- Red Rock Central scored their first nine runs early to go on to beat Southwest United in a Red Rock Conference game.

Winning pitcher Mel Schmidt gave up one walk and had two strikeouts in two innings. Schmidt also went 2-for-3 with an RBI. RRC's Mel Quade went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBIs while Savanna Evans went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and a triple.

Red Rock Central (6-5, 5-0) will play a home game in Westbrook against Worthington on Tuesday.

Madelia/Truman 11,

St. Clair 0

ST. CLAIR -- Madelia/Truman surpassed St. Clair Thursday in a Valley Conference game.

Giving up only one hit and one walk, winning pitcher Laura Pace had eight strikeouts. Ashley Eager went 2-for-5 with four RBIs for the Jayhawks while Ashley Schultz went 2-for-5 with a double. Dani Urban had an RBI and Mary Jacobs went 2-for-4.

Madelia/Truman (6-3, 5-2) will host Maple River on Tuesday.

Wabasso 4, Sleepy Eye 3

Wabasso 6, Sleepy Eye 3

WABASSO -- The Wabasso girls win both games 4-3 and 6-3 in doubleheader against Sleepy Eye.

The winning pitcher for the first game was Katelyn Rohlik with eight strikeouts and five walks. Brittney Eis went 3-for-4 and Katie Schumaker went 2-for-3.

Taking the first loss for Sleepy Eye was Nicole Krebs with two strikeouts and no walks. Teammate Kristi Schieffert went 2-for-4.

The winning pitcher for the second game was Rohlik with three strikeouts and two walks. Teammate Andrea Fennern went 3-for-4, Eis went 2-for-4 and Bridget Grunewald went 2-for-4.

Krebs also took the second loss for Sleepy Eye with two strikeouts and one walk. Courtney Hammerschmidt and Allie Deibele had one hit each.

Wabasso (12-0, 8-0) hosts Sleepy Eye St. Mary's today.

McLeod West 15, BLH 2

McLeod West 18, BLH 0

BROWNTON -- McLeod West dominated Buffalo Lake-Hector 15-2 and 18-0 in doubleheader action on Thursday night.

Brittany Ribar was the winning pitcher for McLeod West with four walks, two strikeouts and five hits. Ribar went 2-for-2 with three RBIs. Teammate Amanda Peterson went 2-for-4 with two RBI, Kim Plamann went 2-for-3 with two RBI and Megan Tongen went 2-for-3 with one RBI.

Kayla Ilgen took the loss for BLH and Alyssa Kubesh had a double.

Louise Tongen earned the win for McLeod West in the second game, giving up a walk, striking out two, and giving up two hits. Megan Maurer went 4-for-5 with one RBI. Brenda Nelsen went 2-for-4 with one RBI. Megan Tongen went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

Brigetta Hammer took the loss for GFW.

McLeod West (5-6, 3-6) hosts Sleepy Eye at Brownton on Tuesday.

Springfield 10, St. Mary's 6

St. Mary's 4, Springfield 3

SLEEPY EYE -- St. Mary's and Springfield split the Tomahawk softball doubleheader Thursday.

In the first game, Springfield scored four in the last inning to win 10-6. Tiffany Wilhelmi had the win and Krista Armbruster got the loss for the Knights. For the Tigers, Krystal Schwanke went 2-for-4 with a double and scored three runs. Naomi Timm was 3-for-4 and had a triple. For the Knights, Armbruster helped her own cause, going 2-for-3 with a triple, Amanda Helget was 3-for-4 with a triple and Elese Berdan went 2-for-3 with a triple.

St. Mary's won the second game 4-3 and Raina Walter picked up the win. Schwanke took the loss. Liza Schwartz went 2-for-3 with a double, and Jonalyn Cook brought in the go-ahead runs in the top of the seventh. For the Tigers, Christa Reiner and Katelin McNutt went 3-for-4.

St. Mary's (6-5, 4-4) is at Wabasso today.