WHS softball team drops home games to St. James, Fairmont

The Worthington Trojans played at home for the first time this season Tuesday afternoon and lost a pair of games to a pair of teams.

The Trojans played their initial game of the day against St. James and ran into a formidable foe in Saints pitcher Laney Bowers. A senior who has committed to Southwest Minnesota State University, Bowers overpowered WHS in a no-hitter during which she walked just one and struck out 17 as St. James won 8-0.

The Saints scored four runs on three hits in the first inning to set the tone early. Meanwhile, Katie Welch was the lone baserunner for the Trojans in the game. Morgan Menke pitched the entire contest for Worthington.

In the second matchup, WHS was handcuffed by the pitching of Fairmont's Lexi Sundeen for the first four innings and was defeated 9-2. Bria Steve started in the circle for the Trojans and was relieved by Menke in the third inning,

Trailing 8-0 in the fifth, the Trojans' Jasmine Noerenberg reached first base on the team's first hit of the game and came around to score shortly afterward on an RBI base hit by Anna Gordon. Worthington, now 0-6, got another run in the sixth when Breeta Johnson reached first after striking out and then came around to score on multiple wild pitches.

WHS catcher Macie Mahlberg dove to snare a foul ball for an out in the sixth and then doubled off a Fairmont baserunner.