NORTH MANKATO —
Kelsy Kannegiesser already had one game-winning hit on Thursday at Caswell Park, and Maple River coach Laura Olson didn’t want to give the New Ulm slugger a chance for another.
With their Class AA state fastpitch semifinal game tied in the bottom of the seventh inning and the winning run on second base, Olson ordered an intentional walk.
“She’s a great hitter,” Olson said. “She can put the ball anywhere; she puts it right in play.
“We didn’t want her to beat us, and she did.”
Kannegiesser didn’t notice that she was being walked, and she reached out for the outside pitch and drove it down the right-field line for a double, giving New Ulm the 4-3 win and a berth into the state championship.
“I was just zoning in,” she said.
Jill Gareis scored the winning run. In the opening round of the tournament, Kannegiesser had the game-winning RBI in the top of the eighth inning, driving in Ellie Schneider.
Kannegiesser went 3 for 3 with two doubles in the semifinals. She went 2 for 4 in the first game and also earned the pitching win in both games.
“She’s just unreal,” said coach Kristi Andersen Loose, who was a player the last time New Ulm reached the state championship game in 1997.
New Ulm jumped to a 3-0 lead on Maple River after two innings.
Brittany Hoffmann’s single scored Abby Kamm in the first. In the second, Katie Forst and Ellie Schneider each scored on errors.
Maple River came back to tie the game with a run in the fifth and two in the sixth.
Kylie Olson singled and scored on Kristen Huck’s double to get Maple River on the board. An inning later, Molly Landsteiner led off with a base hit and came around to score on an error on Erica Hengel’s sacrifice bunt. Hengel tied the game on a Joanne Trio base hit.
“This team doesn’t quit,” Olson said. “All through the section and the first game at state.”
In that first game, Maple River erased a one-run deficit and defeated Albany 2-1 with a pair of late runs. It tied the game in the fifth inning when Hengel’s bloop single over the shortstop’s head brought home Nell Gehrke, and went ahead when Mckarah Schaefer scored on Kylie Olson’s sacrifice fly in sixth.
“The sixth inning seems to be our inning,” coach Olson said.
Makayla Rahn went the distance for the win, allowing six hits, striking out 12 and walking one. She struck out eight, walked two and allowed seven runs in the semifinal loss.
New Ulm also came back to win in its opener, scoring two runs in the top of the seventh inning to force extras and eventually defeat Kasson-Mantorville 3-2.
Hoffmann hit an RBI double, and Sydney Schuck also drove in a run in the rally.
“They just have that believe-in-each-other attitude at all costs,” Andersen Loose said. “They believe in this team so much. They know they’re going to put balls in play and make things happen.”
Splitting pitching duties with Schuck, Kannegiesser threw a total of 101⁄3 innings Thursday, allowing six hits with 11 strikeouts and two walks.
New Ulm (22-2) will face St. Anthony Village at 1:30 p.m. for the state title.
Maple River (19-7) will take on Cloquet at 11 a.m. today for third place.
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Related Photos
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New Ulm's Brittany Hoffmann backs up Kelsy Kannegiesser as she makes a catch along the fence during their State Class AA game against Kasson-Mantorville Thursday at Caswell Park. Pat Christman
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Maple River's Erica Hengel lays down a bunt during their State Class AA game against Albany Thursday at Caswell Park. Pat Christman
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Maple River's Erica Hengel lays down a bunt during their State Class AA game against Albany Thursday at Caswell Park. Pat Christman
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New Ulm's Sydney Schuck delivers a pitch during their State Class AA game against Kasson-Mantorville Thursday at Caswell Park. Pat Christman
June 8, 2012
Class AA softball: Kannegiesser puts New Ulm in title game
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ST. PETER -- Kelton Schmitz shot a 74 at Shoreland County Club on Monday, leading New Ulm to the championship of South Central Conference boys golf tournament. Schmitz was the medalist as the Eagles finished with 315 strokes. Fairmont was second (329
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