Waterville-Elysian-Morristown Softball

Coach Lamont and the WEM Softball program hosted its annual softball camp this week.
Picture shown here is our 4th-6th grade camp participants and coaches.

Thanks for attending girls, we hope you enjoyed it!

FARIBAULT DAILY NEWS
By MATT BIGELOW mbigelow@faribault.com

NORTH MANKATO — The story of the Buccaneers’ season has been its ability to come through in the clutch. That quality shined through again Monday.

The Waterville-Elysian-Morristown softball team’s season ended Monday with an 8-0 loss to Jordan, but playing in that game was essentially like playing with house money for the Bucs.

WEM needed to beat Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial in the first game of the day and that wasn’t easy in an eventual 4-3 win in eight innings.

The Bucs were down 2-0 after the first inning and the score stayed that way until the fifth inning when a RaeAhna Harmon two-run double tied the game at two.

Trista Hering pitched for the Bucs and was very good, allowing two runs through seven innings. She gave up a third run in the eighth but kept the Bucs in the game long enough for the offense to figure things out.

Then in the bottom of the eighth, with the season on the line, the Bucs offense came through in the clutch again.

Madison Barber led things off with a single and Val Adank followed with a walk. After Hayley Baker sacrifice bunted both runners into scoring position, Megan Adank — who provided the go-ahead RBI hits in the team’s first round game against Sibley East — smacked a single to center, scoring Barber and Adank to give the Bucs a 4-3 win.

“That was a fun game and a typical one for us,” said head coach Crystal Lamont. “We knew our offense would get some runs in at some point. We’d break it open at some point. Rae had a big double to tie the game. They got one on us and it would’ve been easy to give up but this team never does this and once again Megan comes up clutch. She struck out earlier and most girls wouldn’t have been able to bounce back but she dug in and got it done.”

“It was the best,” said Val Adank. “Having Megan at the end, scoring me there to win it; there was nothing better at the end of the season.”

The Bucs moved on to face Jordan, one of the best teams in the state and it was the Paige Pitlick show, as the senior pitcher struck out 16 batters to end WEM’s season.

“She’s tough, she kept us off balance, great changeup,” said Lamont of Pitclick. “She had great speed and she hit her spots. We stranded some runners, you hope for those key hits and we weren’t able to manufacture those runs.”

The Bucs were in the game most of the way until the wheels came off a bit in the sixth. Errors and hard contact led to six runs for Jordan to really put the game away.

“I was proud of them,” said Lamont. “That’s an excellent team and we were right there with them. I think we got a little rattled, things snowballed. That’s been one of our strengths this year but that one got away from us. Credit Jordan, they are a great team.”

So with the loss, WEM’s season comes to an end. The Bucs finish the year 16-7, which is beyond what even the biggest Buccaneer fan could’ve expected.

The Bucs have a loaded young core of players including arguably their top three hitters in Maddy Meskan, Hailie Tegmeier and Megan Adank — among others — returning and Hering showed big-time pitching chops as just an eighth-grader. That adds up to a future that is incredibly bright for the WEM softball program.

“I think they are in a great position,” said Adank. “I expect them to be this far next year if not further. We’ve got so many young girls and they are all so talented. Tegs and Maddy, Megan and other girls, their bats have come alive. Trista has come so far in just one summer. Yeah I see really good things from this team in the future.“

Of course that young talent had the benefit of coming up in an environment set by a tremendous group of upperclassmen and seniors including Adank, Harmon and Barber. Those three continually came up big for the Bucs this season and will be missed in a big way.

“Just that leadership and work ethic,” said Lamont. “They are just great kids, really solid all around kids. You don’t worry about them getting in trouble off the field or anything. They are respectful to opposing teams, coaches, umpires. They set a tone and an example for our younger players that was invaluable this season. They got all their potential out of their ability. Anytime you get that, it makes you proud to be able to work with kids like that.”

WEM 4, LCWM 3 (8)

LCWM 200 000 01 — 3

WEM 000 020 02 — 4

Jordan 8, WEM 0

WEM 000 000 0 — 0

JHS 200 006 X — 8

FARIBAULT DAILY NEWS
By ADAM J.S. HOLT aholt@faribault.com

For the first time in a while, the Buccaneers met a team they couldn’t put a big number on, and now they have no more room left for error.

The No. 5 seed Waterville-Elysian-Morristown fastpitch softball team dropped a 5-2 game at No. 4 seed Fairmont Thursday in the Section 2AA playoffs.

“Fairmont is a good softball team,” coach Crystal Lamont said. “Their pitcher hit her spots well and kept our hitters off balance. We couldn’t put together enough hits to manufacture the runs we needed tonight.”

The Cardinals got two runs each in the fourth and sixth innings to come back from a 2-1 deficit.

Down 1-0 in the third, Valerie Adank and Maddy Meskan reached before Hailie Tegmeier delivered a two-run single with two outs to put the Bucs up 2-1.

WEM had two on with no outs to start the sixth, but had an out on the basepaths and a forceout to quell the threat.

After pitching a clutch game against Sibley East on Tuesday, Trista Hering had a little more trouble Thursday. A couple of errors hurt in the fourth and led to two runs, and Mallory Gochanour had a two-run single in the sixth as Fairmont added to its lead. Hering gave up five runs, three earned, on nine hits and four walks, striking out eight.

“We had some chances to make a few more defensive plays in the game that would have saved a couple runs, but that’s how it goes sometimes,” Lamont said. “We did get some other key defensive plays and strike outs to leave runners on base. It just wasn’t enough. They made more plays then we did tonight.”

WEM managed just four hits and three walks in the game. The two runs were tied for the fewest the Bucs have scored in a game this season, also going down 15-2 to Belle Plaine on April 15.

The Bucs dropped to 15-6 overall and move to the bottom half of the bracket, where they’ll play No. 8 seed Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial at noon Saturday at Caswell Park in North Mankato.

No. 4 Fairmont 5, No. 5 WEM 2

WEM 002 000 0 — 2

FMT 010 202 x — 5

WP: Ehlert. LP: Hering.

WEM HITTING — Meskan 1-3, BB; M. Adank 0-3; Tegmeier 2-3, 2RBI; Harmon 0-2, BB; Kuball 0-3; Luebben 0-3; Barber 0-3; V. Adank 1-3, R; Baker 0-1, BB; Rients 0-0, R.

FARIBAULT DAILY NEWS
By MATT BIGELOW mbigelow@faribault.com

WATERVILLE — The Buccaneers have a flair for the dramatic, and it was on full display Tuesday.

The Waterville-Elysian-Morristown softball team found itself in an early hole against No. 12 Sibley East in the opening round of the Section 2AA tournament but thanks to a string of clutch hits and Houdini-like bullet-dodging, the Bucs gutted out a 5-4 win.

Things didn’t look good early, as the Wolverines scored three runs to take a 3-0 lead in the third inning and the Bucs were getting nothing at the plate against Wolverines starter Rachel Sorenson.

Through four innings, the team had just one hit.

The Bucs rallied to tie the game at 3-3 thanks to back-to-back-to-back doubles from Megan Adank, Hailie Tegmeier and RaeAhna Harmon. McKenzie Kuball followed with an RBI single and the Bucs were back in business.

Then in the sixth, WEM got the first two runners aboard thanks to a single from Madison Barber and a walk from Val Adank. After a sac-bunt by Haley Baker and a hard lineout by Maddy Meskan, it was Megan Adank who came up clutch again, lining a base hit right up the middle to score two runs and give WEM the lead.

“I wasn’t too worried,” said head coach Crystal Lamont. “Our offense usually comes through and the more you see that pitcher, the more you get used to the pitches. We had some great clutch hits with two outs to tie things up and rode the momentum from there.”

“The whole game was so intense,” said Adank. “When we were up, when we were down; it was just intense the whole way. We don’t give up until that last pitch though. We fight until the end.”

All five of WEM’s runs came with two outs.

WEM pitcher Trista Hering and the Bucs defense needed to come up big just to allow the bats to wake up.

Sibley East had a golden opportunity to blow the game wide-open in the fourth inning, loading the bases with no outs but Hering took matters into her own hands, fielding a comebacker off the bat of Cloey Anderson and getting a force out at home. The next batter, Maddie Kjellesvig hit a soft pop-up right to Hering, who upon catching, turned and threw a strike to Megan Adank at third to double off Taylor Perschau who was leaning off third base.

“I just love softball,” said Hering. “Whenever I watch, you see pitchers who don’t get flustered with the bases loaded, so I don’t want to get rattled. It’s just me and my catcher and she does a great job. The defense was great behind me which helped out a lot.”

After tying the game up in the fifth, the Wolverines again had a chance to do major damage in the sixth, loading the bases with just one out before Hering induced a pop out from Kjellesvig and got Alli Harter to ground to Harmon at short for the third out to escape the jam unscathed.

“Pressure doesn’t get to her,” said Lamont. “Even the last inning when they hit a home run, she knew we had her back and still had the lead and she kept fighting hard. The girls have been so supportive for her all year and she can lean on that and she was able to escape a couple of jams.”

Hering was very good throwing pitches, but she also fielded her position extremely well Tuesday. The entire WEM defense was sharp and aside from the third inning that saw the Bucs commit a couple errors, they were terrific. Kuball had a fantastic day at second base, making several tough over-the-shoulder catches, Harmon and Adank were good on the left side and Val Adank was very good stretching for some close plays at first base.

Megan Adank had herself a day at the plate, igniting the first scoring rally with a double to the gap in left field and scoring the team’s first run before driving in the go-ahead runs in the sixth. Adank drew two walks as well.

“She was clutch up there,” said Lamont. “She has a great eye at the plate and came through with the double to get us started and the two RBIs to win the game. She’s just a battler and toughed it out and I’m glad it worked out today.”

With the win, WEM advances to the second round of the Section 2AA tournament to face No. 3 Fairmont at 5 p.m. Thursday in Fairmont. The Bucs are now in the double-elimination section of the bracket, so win or lose, they’ll play again Saturday at Caswell Park in Mankato.

WEM 5, Sibley East 4

SE 003 000 1 — 4

WEM 000 032 X — 5

WP: Hering

WEM Hitting — Meskan 0-4; M. Adank 2-2, double, 2 RBI, 2 walks; Tegmeier 1-4, double, RBI; Harmon 1-3, double, RBI; Kuball 2-2, walk, RBI; Luebben 0-3; Barber 1-3; M. Adank 0-2, walk; Baker 0-1, sac bunt, walk.

FARIBAULT DAILY NEWS
By MATT BIGELOW mbigelow@faribault.com

Attitude and mental toughness have been things the Buccaneers have prided themselves on this season. Those were put to the test Tuesday and the Bucs came through in a big way.

Bethlehem Academy and Waterville-Elysian-Morristown met up Tuesday in a battle for a share of the Gopher Conference. After a rocky start that saw them fall behind by five runs, the Bucs scored six unanswered to win 8-7 and knock off the defending conference champs.

It looked like it was going to be a quick game early, as BA’s bats were hot. The Cards scored runs in each of the first five innings to take a 7-2 lead into the bottom of the fifth.

But as they have all year, the Bucs hung tough and battled back, scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth.

“This group is so resilient,” said head coach Crystal Lamont. “They never give up and they stay positive. Any time we do that, with our offense, we give ourselves a chance to have that big inning and we were finally able to pull one together.”

The entire game changed when WEM’s Maddy Meskan hit a line shot off BA’s pitcher Shelby Meyer early in the fifth inning. Meyer left the game and was replaced by Tess Glenzinski, who on a short warmup, struggled. And the WEM hitters took advantage.

Hailie Tegmeier and RaeAhna Harmon had back-to-back RBI singles and Nicole Neutzman drew a bases loaded hit-by-pitch to give the Bucs three runs and Madison Barber had an RBI fielder’s choice to pull the score to 7-6.

In the sixth inning, BA had chances to put WEM away but couldn’t. WEM put runners with two outs and after Tegmeier drew a walk, Harmon hit a grounder and two errors later, Megan Adank scored from second and Tegmeier scored on a throw that went into the BA dugout. That gave the Bucs and 8-7 lead and Trista Hering, after struggling through the early stages of the game, shut the door on the Cards in the seventh.

“I’m really overwhelmed; it’s so great to have this,” said Meskan, who went 3 for 4 at the plate and played a key role in managing Hering from the catcher position. “The little mistakes, we all get back up together. We win as a team, lose as team. Last year we didn’t make it this far. We haven’t done this in a long time and we wanted to come get a win; especially against BA. They are always a main contender. We pulled through and it was a great experience for us.”

BA certainly hit the ball well early, taking a 5-1 lead after a three-run third inning that saw the Cards piece together six straight hits.

Glenzinski didn’t have her best day pitching, but she was fantastic at the plate, going 2 for 3 with a walk, three stolen bases and an RBI. Kylie Hanson went 2 for 3 with an RBI and Kelsey Novak went 2 for 4 with an RBI.

“We were cruising along, Shelby was throwing well and kids were playing well behind her,” said BA head coach Tom Langfeldt. “And she goes down. That takes a lot out of you emotionally. I’ll give Tess credit for bearing down and to have some hits like she gave up that can get frustrating. I thought she handled it pretty well.”

With the win, WEM clinches a share of the Gopher Conference with Maple River. The Bucs, now 14-4, have won eight games in a row and are peaking at exactly the right time of year. WEM was decent last year and returned a handful of quality players. So there were expectations that the Bucs would improve from last year to this year, but winning the conference wasn’t an expectation.

“We all had positive attitudes and a lot of people didn’t think we could,” said Meskan. “But we’re playing well now and things are going well. We work hard and it’s paying off.”

“We knew the conference was up for grabs,” said Lamont. “I didn’t necessarily expect us to win it but I knew we’d have a chance. 14-4 is beyond my expectations so I’m very proud of the girls and the season they’ve put together so far.”

WEM plays again at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at St. Clair to wrap up the regular season. The Cardinals play again at 5 p.m. Thursday at Medford.

WEM 8, BA 7

BA 113 110 0 — 7

WEM 101 042 X — 8

WP: Hering, LP: Glenzinski

BA hitting — Glenzinski 2-3, walk, 2 RBI; Oathoudt 1-4, RBI; Meyer 2-4; Viland 1-4, RBI; M. Donahue 2-4; Hanson 2-3, RBI; DeGrood 1-2, walk; D. Donahue 1-3, RBI; Novak 2-4, RBI.

WEM Hitting — Meskan 3-4; M. Adank 0-2, 2 walks, RBI; Tegmeier 1-3, walk, 2 RBI; Harmon 2-4, triple, 2 RBI; Neutzman 0-3, walk, RBI; Kuball 1-3; Barber 1-2, RBI; V. Adank 0-3; Baker 2-3.