Milestones recorded as Knights open playoffs

The West Central Area Knights softball team opened the Section 3AA postseason as the No. 2 seed in the North subsection. The Knights opened with a 12-0 win over No. 7 Minnewaska in five innings Tuesday, May 23, in Barrett.

After No. 3 Dassel-Cokato beat No. 6 New London-Spicer in game two, the Knights were matched up to play the Chargers in a double elimination second round Tuesday evening, in Barrett. The Knights fell 9-0.

Five Knights recorded milestones Tuesday. Lily Mahoney struck out her 75th batter while Claire Stark recorded her 50th career strikeout. Brinley Ulrich had her 25th RBI while Addison Staples recorded her 50th run batted in. Madison Fagre also reached a milestone of 25 stolen bases Tuesday.

The Knights continued 3AA against Windom in an elimination game Saturday, May 27, at the Marshall Softball Complex in Marshall. Due to early Memorial Day printing deadlines, those results will be published in next week’s Grant County Herald.

West Central Area 12

Minnewaska 0

Lily Mahoney and Claire Stark combined to throw a no-hitter for West Central Area in a 12-0 shutout of No. 7 Minnewaska in the Section 3AA-North opener Tuesday, May 23, at West Central Area School in Barrett.

Mahoney got the start and went four hitless innings, walked four and struck out seven while Stark recorded the final three outs via strikeout to seal the game.

The Knights jumped out to a 3-0 lead thanks to a wild pitch and a two-run single by Karleigh Brendmoen. Addison Staples drove in Alaina Sykora to give the No. 2-seeded Knights a 4-0 lead.

An RBI double by Mahoney and a two-run single by Sykora ballooned the lead to 7-0 in the third before WCA added five runs on one hit in the fourth for the final 12-0 win.

A bases-loaded walk scored Izzy Puchalski to open the scoring in the fourth. A ground out and fly both scored runs in the next two at-bats for WCA. Mahoney was plated from second on a double by Addison Staples, who scored on a fielder’s choice by Madison Fagre.

Sykora was 2-for-4 with a triple, three RBIs and a run while Staples was 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and a run. Brendmoen and Mahoney also drove in two each and scored twice for WCA, who moved to 13-5 on the year.

The Lakers finished the season at 2-14.

Dassel-Cokato 9

West Central Area 0

The Knights fell in the first round of Section 3AA double elimination play Tuesday, in Barrett. The No. 2-seeded WCA softball team was upset by No. 3 Dassel-Cokato in the nightcap.

After a pitcher’s duel in the first two innings, three straight walks issued by Lily Mahoney in the top of the third got runners on board for the Chargers. All three scored on a bases-clearing double by Anyah Gvennigiman.

WCA got just three hits in the game – one each in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. The Chargers continued to roll across the plate with a wild pitch, scoring a run in the fourth before adding five more runs in the fifth on just two hits.

The Knights got hits from Alaina Sykora, Addison Staples and Izzy Puchalski in the loss.

Lily Mahoney got the start in the circle. The freshman tossed 4.1 innings, allowed eight earned runs on two hits and walked nine. She struck out seven before being relieved by senior Claire Stark, who gave up an earned run on a hit with three walks and three K’s in 2.2 innings of work.