The Southland softball team earned its first trip to the Section 1A softball tournament in at least six years when it topped Houston 7-5 in an elimination game and lost to Wabasha/Kellogg 7-3 in the Subsection East Division title game in Peterson Saturday.

The No. 3 seeded Rebels (14-8 overall) started the game against Houston (14-5 overall) off with a blast when Kelli Smith launched a two-run homer in the second inning to make it 2-0 and Southland led the rest of the way.

Southland scored three first inning runs against W/K (14-9 overall), but couldn’t score another run the rest of the way. The Rebels led 3-2 after five, but W/K tied it up in the sixth and scored four runs in the top of the seventh.

“We just couldn’t find it after the first inning (against W/K) but the girls battled hard all day,” Southland head coach Greg Schulte said. “They really wanted to get to the section tournament.”

The Rebels will take on Kenyon/Wanamingo in an elimination game at Todd Park Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Southland 7, Houston 5

Southland pitching: Brandi Schammel (W), 7 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 5 R, 2 ER, 1 K

Southland hitting: Kelli Smith, 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBIs; Jana Schammel, 2-for-4, double; Brandi Schammel, 2-for-4

W/K 7, Southland 3

Southland pitching: Brandi Schammel (L), 7 IP, 15 H, 4 BB, 7 R, 2 K

Southland hitting: Jana Schammel, 2-for-3; Whitney Bamrick, 2-for-4