New Ulm Public wins first state softball title

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The New Ulm softball team mobs Brittany Hoffmann, whose home run in the eighth inning helped the Eagles defeat St. Anthony Village 9-5 in the championship game of the Class AA softball tournament Friday at Caswell Park.
New Ulm's Jill Gareis slides past Saint Anthony Village's shortstop Mary-Clare Couillard.

June 9, 2012

New Ulm Public wins first state softball title

Eagles win Class AA title in dramatic fashion

By Joe Tischler Special to The Free Press The Mankato Free Press Sat Jun 09, 2012, 12:39 AM CDT

NORTH MANKATO — New Ulm proved two things Friday in the Class AA softball championship game at Caswell Park.

First, the Eagles know how to play in exciting games as all three tournament contests weren’t decided until the seventh inning or later.

Second, someone other than Kelsy Kannegiesser could come through with the big late-inning hit.

On Friday, it was junior Brittany Hoffmann delivering a championship-clinching three-run home run in the top of the eighth inning that gave the Eagles their first state softball crown by beating St. Anthony Village 9-5.

“We’ve been clutch all year,” said New Ulm coach Kristi Andersen Loose. “Our lineup is strong enough to come through, and today they kept proving it.”

The way the game started, it looked like this was going to be an unusually easy win for New Ulm, which scored four runs in the top of the first inning. Kannegiesser came through with the first big hit of the game, knocking a double to the left-center gap that scored Jill Gareis. Hoffmann drove in Kannegiesser with another double down the left-field line. She later came home from third after an illegal pitch from St. Anthony Village’s starting pitcher Becca Bates. Ellie Schneider rounded out the rally by delivering an RBI infield single.

Kannegiesser tossed two perfect innings before St. Anthony struck for three runs in the bottom of the third. St. Anthony added one more run in both the fourth and fifth innings to take a 5-4.

St. Anthony’s Sarah DeMars came in to pitch in the fourth and completely shut down New Ulm for three innings, only allowing one base hit, a Katie Forst single in the fifth.

Forst and others finally came through in the seventh. Hoffmann walked with one out. Kali Denn reached on a dropped fly ball by left fielder Lydia Stucki. Forst kept the season alive by delivering a single past the shortstop’s glove, scoring courtesy runner Abby Kamm to tie the score at 5.

“We always say, never give up until the game’s over,” said Kannegiesser. “Just fight through until we get what we want.”

Kannegiesser held the Huskies scoreless in the bottom of the seventh before the Eagles continued with their late-inning heroics by erupting for four runs in the eighth. Ellie Schneider led off with a single to left. Gareis bunted her over to second. Kristen Forstner singled to center advancing Schneider to third. Kannegiesser was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Hoffmann came up looking to deliver the go-ahead run. Before she could do so, the go-ahead run scored on a wild pitch. Then Hoffmann lofted a shot deep to left field, pushing Stucki back to the fence. The ball ricocheted off her glove in play and fell over the fence, giving Hoffmann a three-run home run that made it 9-5.

“I knew it was hit well,” said Hoffmann. “I was a little nervous she was going to catch it, but I knew a run was going to score at least and that’s all we needed.”

New Ulm made it interesting in the bottom of the eighth when St. Anthony loaded the bases, but Schuck fielded a grounder off the bat from Emily Olson at second and tossed over to Gareis to clinch New Ulm’s first state championship.

Cloquet 8, Maple River 3: Maple River squandered two different leads and lost in the third-place game of the Class AA softball tournament.

Shania Paulson led the winners, going 3 for 4 with three RBI. Teammate Kelly Carlson added three hits, and Chandler Beaupre earned the victory, allowing just two hits, striking out five, walking two and giving up one earned run.

Carly Lloyd and Brittany Nase had the only hits for Maple River. Makayla Rahn took the loss.

The Eagles end the season with a 19-8 record.

Mound Westonka 8, Albany 5: Mound Westonka won a back-and-forth affair to claim the consolation championship of the Class AA tournament Friday.

Evan Bailey went 2 for 4 with three RBIs to lead Mound Westonka, which scored a pair in the first only to give up two in the bottom of the second.

Albany gave up a run in the third but responded with its own run to tie it back up. After a scoreless fourth, Mound Westonka added four runs to take the lead for good.

KatieJo Delisle and Katie Rasmussen were both 3 for 4 to lead Mound Westonka. Deslisle tossed a four-hitter for the win and did not allow an earned run.

Karli Persson took the loss.

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