Waterville-Elysian-Morristown Softball

By MATT BIGELOW – Faribault Daily News

The Buccaneers’ win over Maple River last week allowed them to secure a home game in the Section 2AA tournament. The win looks even better now.

The Waterville-Elysian-Morristown softball team earned the No. 6 seed in the Section 2AA tournament and will host No. 11 Medford at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

WEM played Medford twice in the regular season, splitting the two meetings, with each team winning on the road.

The Tigers went 7-11 in the regular season but have just two wins in the last month.

The Buccaneers averaged 8.7 runs per game, which was tops in the Gopher Conference, and allowed a league-best 4.0 runs as well. WEM’s seven losses were by a combined nine runs, so the Bucs are certainly used to be playing close games.

“We have had a chance to win every game we played this year,” said head coach Crystal Lamont. “It’s not often you can say that as a coach. We have the potential to be a top team in the section but we need to be more consistent defensively. We also need to execute when we get runners on.”

Medford’s shown it can hit, averaging 6.9 runs per game but the Tigers also allowed 8.4 runs per game as well.

“We have seen Medford twice this season and they are a much improved team from last season,” said Lamont. “And as we learned they can beat you if you don’t play well. Our goal is to be aggressive offensively and play errorless ball. If we do those two things we should put ourselves in a position to advance.”

The Bucs and Tigers start at 5 p.m. Tuesday at WEM. The winner advances to the second round of the Section 2AA tournament — the double-elimination round — to play the winner of No. 3 Fairmont/No. 14 Blue Earth Area Thursday.

By MATT BIGELOW – Faribault Daily News

WATERVILLE — Hailie Tegmeier’s been delivering big hits for the Buccaneers all season. Her latest one secured them a home playoff game.

Tegmeier blasted an RBI walk-off double in the bottom of the eighth inning, scoring Autumn Taylor, lifting the Waterville-Elysian-Morristown softball team to a 6-5 win over Maple River Friday in the regular season finale.

“I was just waiting for the perfect pitch,” said Tegmeier. “I knew I could hit one hard.”

WEM trailed Maple River 5-4 going into the bottom of the seventh, but the Bucs forced extras thanks to a leadoff triple by Megan Adank and an RBI single by Nicole Nuetzman.

That came after the Bucs had failed to score after loading the bases with one out in the sixth inning.

WEM threatened to score in just about every inning and even if the Bucs didn’t ever put up a crooked number, their offensive firepower showed as they scored runs in five of the eight innings.

“We had a few key moments where we had the batters up that we wanted and runners on base where we needed and we either just didn’t get it through or they made a play,” said head coach Crystal Lamont. “But again with this team they are resilient and they never give up and they keep believing in themselves. Today it paid off in the end.”

Tegmeier supplied the big hit of the evening and hit the ball hard all game, going 3 for 5 with two doubles and an RBI. Adank had three hits as well including an RBI single in the fifth inning after Maple River had scored three runs in the top half to take a two-run lead. Kate Masberg had three hits and drove in a run. Seven Buccaneers combined for 16 hits in total.

That depth was on display throughout the evening as the Bucs pieced together runs with production from the top of the lineup to the bottom. They got big hits from multiple players all throughout the lineup.

“One through nine I believe in all our hitters that they can provide that game-winning type hit for us,” said Lamont.

“We’ve shown we can come back on teams,” said Tegmeier. “We’re always a threat to hit really good in one big inning.”

Trista Hering gave up some harder contact than usual but she found ways to get out of potential jams throughout the game thanks in large part to her ability to get strikeouts in key at-bats. All of Maple River’s runs were unearned. The freshman pitcher finished the game allowing just six hits with 13 strikeouts.

WEM went into the game as the projected No. 8 seed in the 15-team Section 2AA. Maple River was the projected No. 7 seed, so the win should either allow the Bucs to jump the Eagles or at the very worst allow them to simply stay at No. 8 and get a home first round section game.

WEM finishes the regular season 13-7 and awaits official section seedings which are scheduled to come out Saturday. The Buccaneers will likely play at home to open the Section 2AA tournament and either way, the first game will be Tuesday.

WEM 6, Maple River 5 (8)

By ADAM J.S. HOLT -Faribault Daily News

Whatever was ailing the Buccaneers got better in a big way Thursday.

The Waterville-Elysian-Morristown softball team swept a doubleheader with Gopher Conference opponent United South Central, winning both games on run rules. The first game was 17-4 in four innings, and the Bucs finished the sweep with a 15-3 victory in six innings in the nightcap.

“The girls got their bats going again tonight,” coach Crystal Lamont said. “We were making good solid contact in most of our at bats and that’s all you can ask for as a coach. We took advantage of some walks and didn’t leave runners on base like we have been lately.”

A 13-run third inning broke open the first game. Through two innings, the Bucs had two doubles but no runs. Errors by the Rebels helped WEM as the Bucs got six hits and three walks to go with some errors in piling runs on — WEM sent 16 batters to the plate in the third. Kate Masberg had two RBI singles in the frame, and all nine Bucs in the lineup reached and scored at least once in the third.

Trista Hering allowed one unearned run in four innings of work, giving up two hits and walking four, with six strikeouts.

Back-to-back two-run doubles by Hailie Tegmeier and Riley Luebben in the fourth got WEM to a 16-run lead to end the game early.

The second game had WEM as the away team, and the Bucs scored in five of six innings, including an eight-run second.

Hering went six innings, allowing three runs, on earned, on seven hits with a walk and three strikeouts.

WEM sent 12 to the plate in the second. Tegmeier and Luebben had back-to-back doubles to drive in runs in the second, and Masberg had a two-run double in the sixth. The Bucs pounded out 14 hits and drew six walks.

“Kate, Hailie, and Riley were swinging really well tonight,” Lamont said. “They were hitting hard line drives and driving in runs. They are fun to watch when they are swinging the bat like that. Trista took a little while to get warmed up but once she did she pitched really well. We were able to limit our errors tonight and anytime we do that we are tough to beat.”

WEM is 12-7 overall and 6-5 in the Gopher, with a 4:30 p.m. game against Maple River at home Friday. The section seeding will be done Saturday and go by QRF rating — WEM entered the day eighth out of 15 teams, and Maple River is directly above the Bucs in the standings.

WEM 17, USC 1 (4)

By ADAM J.S. HOLT – Faribault Daily News

For the second game in a row, errors cost the Buccaneers.

The Waterville-Elysian-Morristown softball team lost 7-6 to Medford in Gopher Conference play Monday at home, committing five errors and allowing six unearned runs.

WEM never led in the game and gave up four runs in the fourth inning to fall behind by six before pulling back within one in the sixth.

Medford led 3-0 after the top of the third, before WEM got one back in the bottom. Two straight errors and a bunt hit by the Tigers to start the fourth loaded the bases, and Medford’s Emma Kniefel hit a sacrifice fly before back-to-back RBI singles by Isabel Reuvers and Kori Dodge.

Down 7-1 in the fourth, WEM scored two, with Hayley Baker and Nicole Neutzman picking up RBI. The Bucs added another in the fith on an RBI single from Trista Hering to score Hailie Tegmeier. WEM got within one when Neutzman and Megan Adank scored on passed balls in the sixth. Hering led off the seventh with a single, but was caught stealing for the first out, and McKenzie Kuball and Hayley Baker popped out to end the game.

Hering allowed seven runs, one earned, on 10 hits and a walk, striking out six. Adank was 2 for 4 with a run and a double and Hering was 3 for 4 at the plate.

The Bucs fall to 10-7 overall and next play a home doubleheader starting 4:30 p.m. Thursday with United South Central.

Medford 7, WEM 6

By ADAM J.S. HOLT – Faribault Daily News

WATERVILLE — One sloppy inning meant the Buccaneers had to rally to force extra innings. Another miscue put them in a hole they couldn’t rally from.

The Waterville-Elysian-Morristown softball team lost 7-6 to Blooming Prairie in eight innings, tying the game in the seventh, before giving up three in the eighth. The Bucs had the bases loaded down a run in the bottom of the eighth before Riley Luebben grounded out to end the game.

“This was a tough loss,” coach Crystal Lamont said. “I’m proud of our girls for battling the whole game and never giving up. They really stuck together. There were times after bad defensive innings that we could have rolled over, but they increased their energy and we put ourselves in a position to win it in both the seventh and the eighth.”

WEM led 3-0 after three innings, but didn’t help pitcher Trista Hering out defensively in the fourth. BP loaded the bases with one out on three straight hits in the fourth when McKenna Hein hit a grounder to Megan Adank at third. Adank’s throw home was high and the Blossoms scored two on the play. Julia Worke hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game, and on a bloop infield hit, the Bucs were slow to stop the play dead, allowing Hein to keep running score for a 4-3 lead.

Hering pitched very well, striking out eight and giving up nine hits, and just three of the seven runs she allowed were earned. She issued no walks and had no wild pitches. The defense combined for six errors behind her, though.

“Trista pitched a great game,” Lamont said. “Her control has been superb this week. Unfortunately we made too many errors behind her and we couldn’t overcome it. That’s my job to fix. This was just a little bump. I know the girls will respond next week.”

Autumn Taylor led off the seventh with a single and moved to second on a bunt, then stole third. Kate Masberg hit a hard grounder to the right side off the second baseman’s glove to tie the game at 4-4. Hayley Baker had a chance for a game-winning hit with two on, but grounded out.

BP got three straight singles with one out in the eighth, then a hit to the outfield went off the fence and the throw in was off, allowing another to score, and WEM was down 7-4 heading to the bottom of the frame. Nicole Neutzman and McKenzie Kuball reached with one out and scored on a fly ball hit by Adank that was dropped in right field. Masberg and Hailie Tegmeier reached to load the bases, but Luebben grounded out to third to end the game.

WEM took advantage of some errors in the first to score a run and added two in the second. Taylor was 2 for 4 with a run and stolen base and Neutzman stole two bases, while Kuball was 1-2 with two runs, two walks and two steals. Tegmeier had two outfield assists, one to third and one to second for outs.

WEM is 10-6 overall and 4-4 in Gopher play, and next plays at 5 p.m. Monday, hosting Medford.

Blooming Prairie 7, WEM 6 (8)

BP 000 400 03 — 7

WEM 120 000 12 — 6

WP: Hein. LP: Hering.

WEM HITTING — Adank 0-5, R, 2RBI; Masberg 1-5, RBI, SB; Tegmeier 1-4, BB; Luebben 1-5; Baker 0-4; Hering 1-4; Nuetzman 1-3, R, 2SB; Kuball 1-2, 2R, 2BB 2SB; Taylor 2-4, R, SB; Rients 0-0, R.

WEM PITCHING — Hering 8 IP, 7R, 3ER, 9H, 8K