The Southland softball team hoped to make a statement after being deemed the top seed for the West Sub-Section 1A tournament. And to spite a sub-.500 regular season record, the Rebels did exactly that.

Freshman Michelle Landherr threw a no-hitter and struck out 10 as Southland strolled to a 6-0 victory over LeRoy-Ostrander/Grand Meadow Saturday morning at Todd Park in Austin.

The Rebels (9-12), as the top seed, got a first-round bye and some much-needed rest. They came out energized and scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning to chase LOGM starter Ashley Swancutt from the circle. Cassie Denisen quieted the Southland scoring by retiring the first five batters she faced -- the first three by strikeout -- but she could not keeps the Rebels down long.

Bridget Felton drove in Amy Walerak with a groundout and Landherr helped her own near-perfect pitching cause with an RBI-single in the bottom of the third. Southland scored three times in the inning to take a 5-0 lead, and Landherr kept LOGM hitless the whole way.

"Michelle had a good day," said Southland coach Karleen Retterath. "We could have hit a little better offensively, but we've seen some pretty speedy pitching lately. Today our bats were out front a little bit, but they will come around.

"It's been our turn for a while, hopefully we're due."

Southland meets Blooming Prairie Wednesday night at 4:30 p.m. for a guaranteed spot in the Section 1A Tournament. The loser will have to win a playback game against either Lyle/Pacelli or Goodhue to qualify for the section's final four.

Walerak sparked the Southland bats with a 4-for-4 day at the plate, scoring two runs. Landherr, ironically enough, had the Rebels' only other hit. She drove in Felton as Southland's sixth run with a groundout in the fifth.

Felton reached base in all three plate appearances, while Sara Walerak was the beneficiary of a pair of walks.

The LOGM pitching tandem of Swancutt and Denisen combined for eight total walks. Denisen struck out five in 5 2/3 innings of relief and walked by Landherr in both at-bats.

Denisen was the only LOGM baserunner to advance as far as second after leading off the third with a base-on-balls. Sarah Holm dropped down the sacrifice bunt, but a lineout to Landherr and a strikeout ended LOGM's limited rally.

LOGM was later eliminated 19-9 by Goodhue in the consolation bracket despite being outhit 12-11. Six LOGM errors were their undoing, as Goodhue blew the game open with seven runs in the seventh inning.

"We just didn't take advantage of our opportunities and they did," said LOGM head coach Dawn Baudoin.

They finish their season with a record of 5-12.

LOGM0000000--002

Southland203010x--650

Swancutt, Denisen (1) and Theobald; M.Landherr and Howe. WP--M.Landherr. LP--Swancutt.