The Jaguars' fastpitch team won 2-1 against visiting Royalton tonight in a thrilling playoff game.
After four scoreless innings went by, the Royals plated a run in the top of the fifth to take a 1-0 lead that lasted into the seventh inning.
To start the bottom of the seventh, senior Anna Marthaler and freshmen Brittany Roelike both got on base with no-out singles. Marthaler then tied the game after scoring on a Royals' error. Then after loading the bases, the Jaguars won the game when a grounder by sophomore Michelle Sanders was thrown wild by the Royals' shortstop to allow senior Morgan Knutson to cross home plate.
Sanders earned 12 strikeouts, to go against no walks and four hits in a complete-game performance.
They will play #1-seed Osakis next Tuesday night at 5pm at Minnewaska Area, taking a 6-11 overall record into the Sub-Section 5A-West semi-finals. They finished 4-10 in the Central Minnesota Conference this season.
The win over Royalton marks the sixth straight season that they have advanced to a Section 5A, sub-section final four round, dating back to 2005. It is also the 19th overall playoff-opening win for the B-B-E fastpitch program, out of 22 seasons dating back to the spring of 1989. The program hold the record for the most playoff-opening wins at B-B-E in any sport.
Osakis survived a first-round scare from Upsala, after winning 9-8 on Friday night in another sub-section quarterfinal game.
**Update on Sunday morning...a look around Sub-Section 5A-West:
Osakis defeated #8-seed Upsala by a 9-8 margin in their quarterfinal matchup on Friday. The Silverstreaks, who are the number one seed and were ranked #8 in the May 5 coaches' fastpitch state rankings, drubbed the Cardinals in a Prairie Conference double-header on May 6 by scores of 9-2 and 13-2 (6 innings).
Osakis takes a 17-1 overall record into the semi-final round of Sub-Section 5A-West. Their lone loss of the season was to Swanville on May 4 by a 8-6 score.
Kimball Area, the #2-seed, defeated visiting Swanville Area (#7-seed) by a 5-2 score.
Sixth-seeded Eden Valley-Watkins knocked out the number three seed Browerville Tigers 15-14. They advance to face Central Minnesota Conference rival Kimball Area in the other semi-final game on Tuesday at Minnewaska.
The CMC keeps on rockin'!
Junior Nate Theilen is welcomed back to the dugout after scoring in the fifth inning against Rockford during game 2 of the Jaguars' double-header.
The Jaguars' baseball team won game one of a double-header in Elrosa against Rockford by an 8-3 score. Sophomore Brady Weller picked up a complete-game win on the mound.
In game two, they led 5-0 after five innings and looked like they were on their way to a comfortable win. Brandon Roelike knocked a two-RBI single in the fifth inning to make it 5-0.
Final score of game two was 17-11 in favor of the Jaguars, who improved to 7-10 overall with the sweep. They finished the CMC schedule with a respectable 6-8 record.
Rockford fell to 3-7 in the CMC and 5-10 overall. No doubt about it, this was a solid sweep for the Jaguars over a good Class AA team.
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