Trojans baseball team picks up victory at Jackson County Central

The Worthington Trojans baseball team traveled to Jackson County Central on Monday and came away with their third win of the season, as they topped the Huskies 7-2.

Talan Holm's RBI single scored Jace Jorgenson and gave JCC a 1-0 lead in the first inning, but WHS tied it in third when Dom Pavelko tripled to lead off and promptly came home on an Austin Gruis sacrifice fly. The score remained at 1-apiece until the fifth, when both Pavelko and Gruis singled with two outs and Brayden Raymo followed with a two-run base hit.

The Trojans then added four more runs on just one hit in the sixth, as they were helped by three Huskies errors. The key play of the inning was when — with the bases loaded and nobody out — Easton Hostikka grounded out to score one run, and a wild throw from first to third following the out brought home the other two baserunners.

Meanwhile, Hostikka — just an eighth-grader — was solid on the mound, allowing just four hits and two earned runs in six innings while walking one, hitting a batter and striking out seven. JCC, which is now 5-11 this season, got its other run in the sixth on a Carson Kolander RBI single. Logan Kerkaert tossed a 1-2-3 seventh for the Trojans.

Worthington, now 3-12 this spring, plays at Pipestone Area on Thursday and has a doubleheader at Jordan on Saturday.

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The Worthington Trojans' girls golf team competed in the Big South Conference Championship meet at Dacotah Ridge Golf Club in Morton on Monday and placed fourth out of 14 schools.

Marshall finished with a team score of 377 and edged second-place Fairmont by one stroke. Blue Earth was third at 400, followed by the Trojans at 405. Among other schools competing were Luverne, which was eighth; Windom Area, 10th; and Jackson County Central, 12th.

Claire Meyer again had the lowest round of the day for Worthington with a 92 that placed her fifth among all individuals. Ava Schutz was 10th overall with a round of 99. Greta Mahlberg was 22nd with a 104, and Giselle Deleon and Ellie Drost each carded 110s.

Based on their performances in Big South meets this season, both Meyer — a junior — and Mahlberg — a seventh-grader — earned all-conference honors. Meyer placed third in those cumulative standings; Mahlberg placed 17th of the 18 all-conference qualifiers.

The boys' Big South Conference Championship meet is set for Tuesday in Morton.

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The Worthington Cubs are now 1-2 on the amateur baseball season after losing at Windom on Sunday 11-0. Jake Brandner had the lone Cubs hit. 

Worthington plays its home opener at 2 p.m. Sunday against the Lakefield Frogs.