WHS softball cruises past Albert Lea before St. Peter ends Trojans' season

The Worthington Trojans' softball team was eliminated Saturday from the Section 2AAA Tournament at Caswell Park in North Mankato, but they by no means went quietly.

The sixth-seeded Trojans, who went 1-1 on Thursday to open the double-elimination tourney, played fifth-seeded Albert Lea on Saturday morning. The Tigers had routed WHS 13-3 earlier this season, but the Trojans rolled to a 13-1 six-inning triumph this time around.

Bailey Ponto had a pair of hits and drove in four runs while also allowing just four hits and one unearned run pitching. Hannah McNab had a double and single, two RBIs and three runs scored. Leah Nelson contributed a pair of hits, an RBI and run scored for Worthington, which scored in every inning but the fifth.

The triumph moved WHS into a matchup against fourth-seeded St. Peter, which had beaten Mankato West 8-6 in the morning and eliminated the No. 2-seeded Scarlets from the tournament. The Trojans trailed early, 5-0, but rallied to within 5-4 before ultimately falling 6-4 to the Saints.

Nelson had a double, single and three RBIs for WHS while also scoring once. St. Peter couldn't get Madi Polz out, as she had four singles in four at-bats. Head coach Avery Wysong noted afterward that her team fought hard and that she was proud of them.

The Trojans concluded their season with a record of 7-15.

**

Jackson County Central advanced on the second day of the Section 3AA softball tournament Saturday as it slipped past Dassel-Cokato, 3-2, in Marshall.

Hadley Wachal's solo homer in the bottom of the seventh gave the Huskies the walk-off win. JCC is the top-seeded team on the south side of the bracket; it will next play No. 1 north seed Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta at 5 p.m. Tuesday in a semifinal game in Marshall.

Among the elimination-round games Saturday, Windom Area blanked New London-Spicer 1-0 and then defeated Pipestone Area 8-5. The Eagles will next face Dassel-Cokato at 5 p.m. Tuesday in Marshall.

In the Section 3A Tournament in Marshall, Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian was edged by Lac Qui Parle Valley 2-1, but then bounced back for a 6-3 triumph over BOLD. They'll next play Yellow Medicine East at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in Marshall. Among other games, MACCRAY ousted Murray County Central 6-5.

**

Postseason high school baseball got underway Saturday. In Section 3A action in Slayton, it was top-seeded Murray County Central 4 and No. 8 Wabasso 3, and fourth-seeded Minneota 4 and No. 5 Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove 3. In Edgerton, second-seeded Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Chrisitan nipped No. 7 Adrian-Ellsworth 3-2 and third-seeded Russell-Tyler-Ruthton eked past No. 6 Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 2-1. Later Saturday, the Rebels bounced the Vikings 8-3. They'll play at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Milroy against either Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian or R-T-R. 

The Section 3AA tourney begins Tuesday. Among the south bracket games are No. 4 Windom Area hosting No. 5 Pipestone Area, No. 3 seeded St. James hosting No. 6 Jackson County Central and No. 2 Luverne hosting Redwood Valley. Top-seeded Fairmont has a bye.

In Section 2A baseball Saturday, it was third-seeded Cleveland blanking No. 14 Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda, 8-0.