MACA girls outlast B-H on the road

Tigers 7, Benson-Hancock 3

The postponements that often occur in early spring can make it difficult for teams to find the kind of rhythm they'd like.
So, maybe it was a good thing for MACA's Monday game to extend into several extra innings.

The previous week had ended badly from a weather standpoint. Actually the forecast for Monday wasn't too hot either. But we seemed to be spared the worst of what had been expected.

School officials gave the thumbs-up for Monday's game. The MACA girls' assignment was to play in Benson. The Tigers locked horns with Benson-Hancock in what turned out to be a marathon affair.

The pitchers were resilient. Mackenzie Weatherly's arm was good for all 14 innings for the winning Tigers. Sara Rajewsky likewise pitched a complete game for the Brave Owls.

Coach Mary Holmberg's Tigers won this WCC-South showdown 7-3.

Benson-Hancock committed a costly outfield error that allowed Katie Holzheimer to score the go-ahead run in the 14th. Holzheimer was able to come around from second base to dent the dish.

The dish got dented three more times before this MACA rally was over. The four runs all scored with two outs.

B-H fans endured heartbreak as their team threatened regularly in the eighth through 12th innings. In that span, they got runners in scoring position but couldn't push them in vs. Weatherly.

B-H as the home team could have ended the game immediately with just one run scored. But Weatherly bore down to shut the door. She has emerged as a dominating pitcher in the area in this young season. She set down the last seven B-H batters to face her.

Holzheimer worked Rajewsky for a walk in the top of the 14th. Holzheimer was a patient and fussy batter all afternoon; this walk was her third.

Remember that walks don't count as official at-bats. In terms of official at-bats, Holzheimer finished a perfect two-for-two, so she was productive indeed, scoring three runs in the process too.

Just one run of the three that Weatherly allowed was earned. She scattered nine hits in this marathon test of her arm. She fanned 12 batters and walked three.

Unearned runs were a problem for both pitchers even though each team committed just one error. Four of the seven runs that Rajewsky allowed were unearned. She allowed 12 hits, struck out four batters and walked five.

The score stood 3-3 when the regulation seven innings were done. Each team scored one run in the third inning and each scored two runs in the fifth.

Dani Schultz showed command with the bat, connecting for two doubles and driving in two runs as part of her four-for-seven afternoon. Sadie Fischer scored two runs as part of going three-for-seven.

Hannah Sayles got to Rajewsky for two hits in seven at-bats. Haley Henrichs went one-for-five with a run scored.

The B-H offensive contributors were: Kendra Schmidgall (a double in five at-bats), Brennan Hagen (two-for-five with an RBI), Datrianna Jensen (a hit in four at-bats), Mackenzie Jensen (three hits in six at-bats) and Natasha Wiebold (two-for-five and two runs scored).

Morris Area Chokio Alberta softball will be striving to keep its record unblemished as the schedule heads into the (hopefully) warmer spring weeks!
Click on the link below to reach the MACA softball page on Pheasant Country Sports:

http://www.pheasantcountrysports.com/teamschedule.php?yid=1011&tid=1169&sid=1230274

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