MACA softball finishes 2011 season 20-4

Normally, making the double-elimination phase of the tournament is a good thing. But, the MACA girls were reminded how painful this can be when you lose twice in one day.

That forgettable day was Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.

The Tigers had been through a memorable, success-filled campaign. It was no surprise they were seeded No. 1 for the 3AA-North tourney.

It's a privilege but a challenge to hold that lofty position. Opponents are gunning for you.

The Tigers took to the diamond Saturday at Marshall hoping to parlay their regular season success through sub-sections.

Ouch. The Tigers lost twice. Their foes were from southern Minnesota where softball is strong. New Ulm and Pipestone sure looked strong against coach Mary Holmberg's Tigers.

First it was New Ulm humbling the Tigers. New Ulm turned back the Tigers 5-2 in the quarter-finals.

The Tigers couldn't afford to lose again but alas, they came up quite shy in their next game as Pipestone was the 11-1 winner.

The season is done for the orange and black crew. The won-lost numbers are a stellar 20-4.

There were hopeful signs through much of the New Ulm game. The Tigers led 1-0 after three innings. After that, New Ulm seized the momentum, scoring two runs in the fourth and three in the sixth.

MACA scored its second run in the bottom of the sixth. The Tigers couldn't break through against New Ulm pitcher Kelsey Kannegiesser in the seventh. The Tigers put up a goose egg in the seventh and this game was over.

Kannegiesser had a good outing, setting down eight Tiger batters on strikes and walking two. She allowed six hits and two runs which were earned.

Morris Area Chokio Alberta pitcher Mackenzie Weatherly was hurt badly by unearned runs. Of the five New Ulm runs, just one was earned.

Weatherly struck out three batters, walked two and allowed five hits.

Offensively Weatherly was the only Tiger with multiple hits as she went two-for-three. These Tigers each had one hit: Katie Holzheimer, Dani Schultz, Haley Henrichs and Beth Holland.

The Pipestone game got pretty ugly, as the ten-run rule was invoked. Pipestone led 3-0 when they unleashed their biggest rally: eight runs in the sixth.

Pipestone outhit the Tigers 14-5, led in a big way by Manda Haupert who hit a three-run homer as part of going four-for-four.

Dani Schultz was the only Tiger with a multiple-hit game: two-for-three. Weatherly and Haley Scheldorf both went one-for-three, and Haley Henrichs had one hit in two at-bats.

Weatherly's pitching stats were quite the opposite of her norm, but credit should go to Haupert and her Pipestone mates.

Weatherly struck out five batters and walked two, but she allowed 14 hits in her six innings. She gave up eleven runs of which ten were earned.

Winning pitcher Tiffany Woelber notched seven strikeouts and walked two, while giving up five hits in her six innings.
Surely the upbeat memories of this past spring will outweigh the disappointment of that final day.

The orange and black colors were resilient.

- Brian Williams - morris mn Minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com