(Herald video clip) Michelle Sanders pitching a no-hitter in the playoff opener

Video from last Thursday's playoff opener for the B-B-E Jaguars fast pitch team: http://saukherald.com/main.asp?SectionID=94&SubSectionID=381&NewsVideoID=114

Fastpitch, baseball scores on May 14

Area fastpitch scores on May 14:
Eden Valley-Watkins 14,  B-B-E 7
Holdingford 8, Pierz 0
Maple Lake 4, Rockford 0
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 5, Kimball Area 1
Ottertail Central 4, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 0
Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 6, Browerville 4 (Browerville's 2nd loss of the year)
Sauk Centre 11, New London-Spicer 6 (6 innings; Mainstreeters score 8 runs in the 4th inning)
Osakis 3, Melrose Area 1
Albany 4, Paynesville Area 0

Tomorrow the Jaguars fastpitch team hosts HL-W-W in a doubleheader at 4:00pm. The Lakers are 9-7 overall and 5-7 (6th) in the Central Minnesota Conference.

Area baseball scores on May 14:
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 6, New London-Spicer 5
K-M-S 7, Central MN Christian 1
Maple Lake 8, Rockford 6 (*Maple Lake locks up the CMC title by themselves)
HL-W-W 2, Kimball Area 1

Photo album from last week's fastpitch softball season opener

Click to view:
http://saukherald.mycapture.com/mycapture/folder.asp?event=1447212&CategoryID=69413&ListSubAlbums=0

Jaguars fastpitch is nipped in 5A-West semis 3-2 by Osakis, a tough loss to swallow

Center fielder Laura Johnson made a simply spectacular pop fly catch in the bottom of the third inning against Osakis tonight.

Coming back to the dugout after the huge pop fly grab.

The Jaguars' fastpitch team finishes 6-12 overall, while Osakis improves to 18-1 overall. The Silverstreaks advance to the Sub-Section 5A-West championship game, coming this Thursday at 5pm at Minnewaska Area High School.

Top-seeded Osakis will face #2-seeded Kimball Area for the sub-section crown. The #2-seeded Cubs improved to 10-10 overall by overcoming a one-run deficit
and defeat #6-seed Eden Valley-Watkins 3-2.

See a photo gallery with 125 shots from the game online at http://saukherald.mycapture.com

• A light game recap:

The Jaguars scored first, on Michelle Sanders' RBI-single in the third inning. Osakis then tied the game in the bottom of the third with two hits and an unearned run. Sanders' fired a strikeout, then Anna Marthaler ran down a hit to the right-center gap for a tough pop fly catch. For the third out, Laura Johnson made a thrilling pop fly catch in center field, getting back to the dugout with at least two major grass stains on her uniform.

In the fifth inning, the Jaguars went down 1-2-3. They broke through in the top of the sixth. Their rally started with a double shot over the right fielder's head by Laura Johnson. The senior stole third on a passed ball, then scored with an RBI hit up the gut by Maggie Gruber.

Hoping to hold onto the 2-1 lead, the Jaguars fought hard in the bottom half of the frame but the Silverstreaks managed to plate two runs for a 3-2 lead.

In the top of the 7th, Brittany Roelike hit a shot to the shortstop, followed by a one-out bunt by Morgan Knutson. She managed to beat the 5-3 throw, then stole second and third base to get into scoring position.

A 3-2 count pitch went by as a strike against the Jaguars' final batter - a bitter way to end the team's season.

Jaguars' pitcher Michelle Sanders had only 1 walk in a complete-game effort, in which she scattered five Silverstreaks' hits and earned six strikeouts. A heckuva performance for a sophomore.

Read about the entire game in next week's local papers.

In a home game tonight at Elrosa, the Jaguars' baseball team lost to the Osakis Silverstreaks 15-2 in five innings. The score pretty much says it all. Giving up 7 runs in the third inning spelled doom for the Blue and Silver, who fall to 7-11 overall to end the regular season.

Up next for the Jaguars' baseball team: the Sub-Section 5A-West quarterfinal game at Upsala, taking on the #3-seed Upsala/Swanville Patriots in a 3:30pm game on Friday (May 28).

• Notes on area fastpitch playoff games:

Paynesville Area ace senior pitcher Whitney Woehler got out of a bases loaded jam (with 1 out) to beat the Minnewaska Lakers for the 3rd straight season in the Section 6AA, sub-section playoffs. She got up with a 1-2 count against Abby Kreitlow, who struck out swinging.

The Bulldogs advance to the sub-section championship game, as well as the Section 6AA Final Four series. They take on #1-seeded Rocori for the Sub-Section 6AA-West title in Melrose at the scenic riverside park at 5:00pm this Thursday night, May 27.

Section 6AA fastpitch playoff results:
Rocori 3, New London-Spicer 0 (#1 seed defeats #5 seed)
Paynesville Area 3, Minnewaska Area 0
Holdingford 6, Foley 2 (#2 seed beats the #6 seed, Huskers have won 11 in a row)
St.Cloud Cathedral 7, Mora 1

Central Minnesota Conference baseball results:
Maple Lake 8, Pierz 2
Pierz 13, Maple Lake 11

Area baseball scores:
Morris Area 2, Lac qui Parle Valley 1
Melrose 2, New London-Spicer 1
Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 7, Sauk Centre 5
Upsala/Swanville Area 6, Browerville/Eagle Valley 5
Mora 12, Albany 2 (6 innings)
Minnewaska Area 15, Milaca 4
St.Cloud Cathedral 9, Foley 5

This Jaguars sports playoff update is brought to you by:

Jaguars' fastpitch picks up a 3-1 win at Pierz - Baseball is shut out at home

The Jaguars' fastpitch team improved to 5-9 overall with a win at Pierz tonight. They travel to Rockford tomorrow (Tuesday) for a double-header against the Rockets beginning at 3:30pm.

The Jaguars' baseball team had a rough outing in a home game against Pierz, falling in a 12-0 shutout loss. They travel to Maple Lake for a double-header on Tuesday.

Central Minnesota Conference fastpitch results:
Holdingford 7, Eden Valley-Watkins 3
Maple Lake 13, Kimball Area 1 (5 innings)

Maple Lake clinched its fifth straight CMC title with the win. They are 12-0 in the CMC and 15-2-1 overall.

Central Minnesota Conference baseball results:
Eden Valley-Watkins 6, Holdingford 5
Maple Lake 11, Kimball Area 3

Area fastpitch results:
Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 6, Sauk Centre 1
NL-S 16, Melrose Area 3
Paynesville Area 9, BOLD 7
Benson/Hancock 6, Yellow Medicine East 0
Morris Area 11, LQPV 4
Montevideo 6, ACGC 1
Redwood Valley 12, Renville County West 4
Albany 4, Mora 0
Brandon-Evansville 12, Ortonville 9
Brandon-Evansville 6, Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 4
Chokio-Alberta/Herman-Norcross 4, Ashby 3

Area baseball results:
Royalton 5, Browerville/Eagle Valley 2
Sauk Centre 12, Osakis 2 (6 innings)
Upsala/Swanville Area 4, St.John's Prep 3 (USA is 8-1)
Minnewaska Area 3, LQPV 2
YME 8, BOLD 1
Morris Area 6, A-C-GC 5
NL-S 4, LP-GE 1
K-M-S 23, Lakeview 2

On Wednesday I'll post the final 2010 Central Minnesota Conference fastpitch standings. I know that in the case of two teams (Eden Valley-Watkins and Rockford), they will not play a complete 14-game schedule. I'll explain more on Wednesday.

Once again, the Sub-Section 5A-West fastpitch playoff seedings:
1 - Osakis
2 - Kimball Area
3 - Browerville
4 - B-B-E
5 - Royalton
6 - Eden Valley-Watkins
7 - Swanville
8 - Upsala
9 - Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City
10 - St.John's Prep

Other CMC fastpitch teams have been seeded as well...Maple Lake has earned the #3 seed in Section 5AA-West. Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted is the #5 seed in that sub-section. Becker is the #1 seed.

Jaguars' Fastpitch drops game one of CMC double-header 3-1 to conference leader Maple Lake

Senior Leah Provost scores the lone run of the game for the Jaguars in the first match up of a double-header between them and Maple Lake.


Trailing 3-0 in the sixth inning, the Jaguars' fastpitch team scored a run by Leah Provost in the bottom of the frame to break up the shutout by the CMC-leading Irish.

Junior Amy Bast hit a single in the fifth inning, but she was left stranded by a pop fly to end the inning.

Senior Morgan Knutson is the main pitcher for the Jaguars this season.


Here's a video clip from later in game one against Maple Lake.


Game two began at about 6:00pm. The game was played without rain, for the most part, and the sun even tried to sneak through the clouds in the seventh inning.

In game two, the Jaguars' fastpitch lost 15-4 in five innings.

Area fastpitch scores:
Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 7, New London-Spicer 0
Paynesville Area 17, Montevideo 3 (5 innings)

Area baseball scores:
MACCRAY 6, Dawson-Boyd 5
Paynesville Area 7, Montevideo 4
LQPV 11, Benson 0
Minnewaska Area 9, Morris Area 3
Morris Area 7, Minnewaska Area 3
Paynesville Area 17, Montevideo 3
BOLD 9, A-C-GC 1
Benson/Hancock 15, Lac qui Parle Valley 2
Dawson-Boyd 8, MACCRAY 0
Dawson-Boyd 4, MACCRAY 3
RCW 3, Lakeview 1
Lakeview 8, RCW 5

This Jaguars sports update is brought to you by:

Jaguars' baseball takes two from Kimball Area in two tight ballgames at Elrosa - Fastpitch splits at Kimball

In a home double-header tonight, the Jaguars' baseball team swept Kimball Area to square their record at 5-5 overall and 4-4 in the Central Minnesota Conference on Thursday in Elrosa.

A run scored by Kevin Kuefler on a passed ball proved to be the winner in game one. A four-run fifth inning propelled them to the win, which snapped a two-game losing streak. Darren Wander earned the win in 2 1/3 innings of relief.

Brandon Roelike's two-out, two-RBI triple in the bottom of the seventh won
the game in the nightcap, with a final margin of 6-4. Roelike's big hit gave the Jaguars a 5-4 lead. An RBI-single by Brady Weller, who batted a thousand (3-for-3) in the game, tacked on an insurance run.

Sophomore Kirby Montbriand earned a complete-game win in game two, giving up six hits, one earned run, while walking five and striking out two.

**The Jaguars' fastpitch team split at Kimball Area. They are now 3-5 in the Central Minnesota Conference.

Kimball Area is 6-6 overall and 3-5 in the CMC.

The Jaguars lost game one 13-8 and then defeated the host Cubs 11-10 in the nightcap. Senior Anna Marthaler scored the game winner in the bottom of the seventh during the second game.

Central Minnesota Conference fastpitch results:
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 11, Eden Valley-Watkins 0
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 11, Eden Valley-Watkins 7
Maple Lake 7, Pierz 2
Maple Lake 13, Pierz 3 (Irish improve to 8-0 in the CMC, 8-1 overall)

Central Minnesota Conference baseball scores:
Eden Valley-Watkins 7, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 3
Eden Valley-Watkins 7, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 3

Area fastpitch scores:
Paynesville Area 13, A-C-GC 0 (5 innings, Whitney Woehler pitches perfect game)
Sauk Centre 9, Melrose Area 8
St.Cloud Cathedral 3, Albany 0
Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 7, Mora 0
Osakis 9, Upsala 2
Osakis 13, Upsala 2

Area baseball scores:
MACCRAY 8, K-M-S 7 (Maccray is 10-0 in the Camden, 11-1 overall)
Minnewaska Area 16, Montevideo 12
Morris Area 6, Yellow Medicine East 3
St.Cloud Cathedral 7, Albany 2
Sauk Centre 3, Melrose Area 2 (both teams are tied at 5-6 in the WCCN)
Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 12, Mora 11 (9 innings)
St.John's Prep 4, Royalton 1
Hawley 9, West Central Area 5
Hawley 12, West Central Area 2
Ortonville 3, Ashby 2
Wheaton/Herman-Norcross 6, Hancock 3

This Jaguars sports update is brought to you by:

2009 Central Minnesota Conference fastpitch standings and 2010 Jaguars Fastpitch season preview

2009 Central Minnesota Conference fastpitch standings:
Maple Lake (13-1, 23-4 overall)
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted (10-4, 11-9 overall)
Rockford (9-5, 10-11 overall)
Holdingford (8-5, 8-6 overall)
B-B-E (8-6, 11-9 overall)
Kimball Area (5-9, 8-13 overall)
Eden Valley-Watkins (1-12, 2-15 overall)
Pierz (1-13, 3-17 overall)

The Jaguars Fastpitch team opens the season on Monday, April 12 against Osakis. The Silverstreaks went 19-4 last season, the most wins in school history for their program, while also earning the Prairie Conference Championship and runner-up honors in Sub-Section 5A-West.

In the 2009 Sub-Section 5A-West playoffs, the Jaguars opened with an 11-4 win at home over Swanville before falling in the semi-finals to eventual section champion and Class A state runner-up Maple Lake.

More on the Jaguars fastpitch team will be posted later.

This Jaguars sports update is brought to you by:

Jaguars Fastpitch Vanquishes State-Ranked Maple Lake 6-5 in Sub-Section 5A-West Championship -- First-Ever Sub-Section Title for B-B-E Fastpitch

Holding the championship trophy moments after the award ceremony.



The Jaguars will take a top seed out of the west half of Section 5A and a 14-5 record for the Final Four round, which begins next Tuesday at 5:00 at the Whitney Fields fastpitch complex in St.Cloud.

The Jaguars will face the champion out of Sub-Section 5A-East, either Barnum or East Central. They faced off tonight for that championship bout.

This win was HUGE! It increases the Jaguars' chances of winning Section 5A by a huge amount. Basically, here's how it goes... the Jaguars will face the east champion at 5:00 next Tuesday. If they win that game, they will then most likely face Maple Lake again on Thursday, if Maple Lake gets out of the loser's bracket by winning two games on Tuesday night. Then on Thursday, the Jaguars would only have to defeat Maple Lake once to advance. The Irish would have to beat the Jaguars in two games next Thursday night to advance. Just like in baseball, it's much better to stay in the winner's bracket and control your own destiny. Tonight's win by the Jaguars does just that.

My records show that B-B-E was runners-up in the district/sub-section in 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2007. That's eight 2nd-place finishes, making it the most snake-bitten program of our Jaguars sports in sub-section berths.

That jinx was broken tonight in a thriller, one that became a nail-biter in the final two innings, when the Irish attempted to overcome a 6-2 deficit after three and a half innings of play.

Maple Lake is 19-2, and they were the #3-ranked team in Minnesota for Class 1A teams. Their only other loss of the season was to St.Michael-Albertville, a Class AAA team that finished 12-11 after going 1-2 in the Section 5AAA playoffs. They had won 3 one-run games in Central Minnesota Conference play this season (6-5 over Rockford, 5-4 over our Jaguars, and 3-2 over Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted). It was their turn to lose a 1-run game.

The Jaguars have now played in 7 games decided by 1 run, and they are 4-3 in such games.

Good things come in pairs tonight I guess... I just heard that the Paynesville Bulldogs won the Sub-Section 6AA-19 championship tonight against Rocori by a 6-3 score. They are now 15-3 for the season. They will face Becker in the Section 5A tournament, who is state-ranked and 22-1 overall. Becker defeated Milaca 11-1 in the Sub-Section 6AA-18 championship.

Tomorrow...The Jaguars boys and girls golf teams tee off at the Section 5A meet at the Little Crow Country Club at NL-S at 9:00. It is the first time in school history that both golf teams are at sections in the same season.

Tomorrow night at 7:00, the Jaguars baseball team opens playoffs with a home game at Saints Field. They will play Holdingford. The Jaguars are the top seed in Sub-Section 5A-South, with a 14-4 record. Their "strength of schedule" ranking has them at #5 out of all 158 Class A teams in Minnesota.

Holdingford 13, Osakis 2. The Huskers won their 4th game of the year in their playoff opener, the Sub-Section 5A-South play-in round. The win gives them the right to play our Jaguars in the sub-section quarterfinals. They went 2-12 in the CMC, winning against HL-W-W once and against Eden Valley-Watkins once.

Baseball scores:
Sauk Centre 10, Minnewaska 5
NL-S 5, Benson 2
Wheaton 9, Morris 7

This Jaguars sports playoff update brought to you by: