New Ulm offensive in Section 2AAAJanni throws all 14 innings

By DAVE CLARK

Journal Sports Writer

NORTH MANKATO -- For the New Ulm Eagles, the judges scorecard would show the first round of the Section 2AAA girls softball tournament went to the offense, the second round to the defense and the knockout punch to pitcher Jocelyn Janni.

The fifth-seeded Eagles beat the 12th seed Marshall Tigers 13-4 in the opening game, then took the fourth-seed Orono Spartans in a thriller 4-1 while Janni pitched all 14 innings, striking out 16 while walking two and allowing just nine hits in the two games.

"The kids played really well tonight," Eagles coach Jim Pearson said. "Martha [Beatty] made a couple of nice plays at shortstop [in the Orono game] and Ashley [Hoffmann] did at third base, too. With Janni, it's nice to have the experience [of a three year starter]. It took us a while to get going in the Marshall game."

That it did, with the Tigers jumping to a 2-0 lead in the opening half inning. But in the bottom of the second, Abby Bartels reached on a fielder's choice. Courtney Jones pinch ran and took third on a seeing eye single to right by Ashley Hoffmann. Lexie Cihak followed with a single to right, scoring Jones and moving Hoffmann to third. Amy Waldner tied the game with a single to left that scored Hoffmann.

Beatty led off the third with a double to right and took third on a wild pitch. Angie Seifert walked, Amanda Bode bunted to pitcher Bethany Macht, who in turn threw out Beatty at home. But catcher Hayley Martin threw late to third trying to catch Seifert, allowing Bode to take second. Bartels then nailed a single to left that scored both Seifert and Bode and gave the Eagles a momentary 4-2 lead.

The Tigers tied it up in the top of the fourth with two runs on three hits, but the Eagles opened it up again in their half of the inning. A Tiffany Hoffmann single to center scored Cihak and Beatty, who had reached on a bunt single and a fielder's choice. Bartels later knocked in Hoffmann with a single and New Ulm had a 7-4 lead.

That margin was extended in the fifth when Ashley Hoffmann led off with a walk and was sent home on a standup double to left center by Cihak. Cihak took third on a wild pitch and scored on a hot shot to third by Waldner, who then gave the Eagles a 10-4 lead on a double play. Tiffany Hoffmann was run number 11 by reaching on an error and scoring on a Bode single.

The Eagles completed their offensive parade in the sixth. Cihak walked and Jessica Sperling singled, with both coming home on a deep double to right center by Beatty.

The game against Orono demanded a bit different game, as Janni dueled eighth-grader Chelsey Durland in a mound match that wasn't entirely decided until the top of the seventh inning.

Through three innings, the Eagles had no hits and the Spartans just two. New Ulm struck first on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth with one out. Beatty tripled to the right field corner, bringing Tiffany Hoffmann to the plate. Hoffmann bunted back to Durland, who then tossed the ball back to catcher Sonya Brauchie, who couldn't hold on to the ball to tag a sliding Beatty.

This 1-0 lead held until the top of the seventh, when Bode, Bartels and Cihak singled to fill the bases. Waldner hit a shot that went off Durland's glove that allowed Bode to score. Sperling then grounded to the shortstop, who threw home, but Brauchie didn't have her foot on the plate, so Bartels made it 3-0. Beatty then walked, forcing home Cihak for the Eagles final run.

The Spartans managed a run in the bottom of the seventh, but between the impenetrable defense and Janni's domination, the Spartans could do no more.

The Eagles move to 14-7 overall and meet number one seed Mankato West at 7 p.m. Thursday night at Caswell Park in North Mankato.