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  • New Ulm's Kristen Forstner slides into third under the tag of Mankato East's Katy Snyder during their game Wednesday at Thomas Park. Pat Christman

    East softbl1_5-17.jpg

  • New Ulm pitcher Kelsy Kannegiesser takes a swing during their game against Mankato East Wednesday. Kannegiesser had two home runs in the Eagles' 13-2. Pat Christman

    East softbl2_5-17.jpg

May 16, 2012

New Ulm thumps Cougars 13-2

By Jim Rueda Free Press Sports Editor

MANKATO — Senior Kelsy Kannegiesser may be known as the ace pitcher of the New Ulm softball team but on Wednesday, in the championship game of the Mankato East Invitational, she let her bat do the talking.

Kannegiesser belted a single, a double and a pair of two-run homers to finish with five RBIs and lead the Eagles to a convincing 13-2 victory at Thomas Park. After throwing 150 pitches in a win against Prior Lake on Tuesday, the Cougars rested starting pitcher Coley Ries and New Ulm responded by belting 14 hits against Megan Ulrich and Allison Taylor.

“No, we really didn’t expect it to be this kind of game,” Kannegiesser said. “We thought it would be a lot closer and a lot more low-scoring, but we hit the ball well.

“We beat a good team today. This will give us confidence going into the playoffs.”

The Eagles jumped on top 6-0 in the third inning with the help of a Kannegiesser double, base hits by Kali Denn and Ellie Schneider and a couple of outfield errors.

“We had trouble picking the ball up in the sun today,” East coach Joe Madson said. “And we didn’t have very good at-bats through those first four innings.

“I don’t want to take anything away from New Ulm; they’re a quality team. It’s just that Megan (Ulrich) deserved a lot more support than we gave her today.”

Kannegiesser got under a pitch in the fourth inning that sailed over the right-field fence for the first of her two-run homers. In the sixth, she got up again with a runner on base and lined a laser over the left-field fence to improve New Ulm’s lead to 10-0.

“The first one I kind of hit off the top of the bat,” Kannegiesser said. “The second one I hit pretty solid.”

East finally scratched out two runs in the bottom of the sixth as Savannah Quandt and Carolyn Osdoba led off with consecutive doubles and Macy Anderson followed with an RBI single. The Eagles kept going in the top of the seventh, turning singles by Ellen Wiederhoeft, Schneider, Kannegiesser and Brittany Hoffmann into another three-run rally.

Sidney Schuck, who pitched the game’s final five innings, gave up a leadoff double to Taylor in the bottom of the seventh before retiring three straight batters to end the game and get the win.

New Ulm (13-2) closes out the South Central Conference season today with a 5:30 p.m. home game against St. Peter.

East (18-2) returns to action at 5:30 p.m. Friday against Mankato West in the championship game of the Big Nine Conference Tournament in Austin.

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