Softball: Vikings lose on late rally by Knights
Published 7:31 pm Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Hayfield’s Jessie Foster is greeted by her teammates after she hit a two-run home run in the Vikings’ 6-4 loss to Kenyon-Wanamingo in the Section 1A West Division tournament in Hayfield Thursday. — Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
HAYFIELD — The Vikings were three outs from advancing to the Section 1A West softball title game in Hayfield Wednesday.
Hayfield’s Rachel Masching takes off down the first base line after bunting against Kenyon-Wanamingo in Hayfield Wednesday. — Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Then things fell apart.
No. 2 seeded Hayfield committed three errors in the top of the seventh inning and allowed four runs in the frame as it lost 6-4 to No. 3 Kenyon-Wanamingo.
The Knights took the lead for good when No. 9 hitter Sydney Klimesh grounded a bouncer up the middle with two outs to score two runs after Hayfield’s Jocelyn Sanvick had struck out the previous two hitters.
“It’s tough,” Hayfield junior shortstop Jessie Foster said. “We really wanted to play against Blooming (Prairie) and try to get revenge on them.”
KW (11-7 overall) tied the game at 4-4 when Hayfield let a pop fly drop and the Vikings missed a couple of throws that allowed KW to get some extra bases in the inning as well.
“We just need to talk and take the plays that should be easy,” Hayfield junior catcher Dani Wagner said.
The Vikings will now play Randolph (13-3 overall) in an elimination game in Todd Park in Austin at 5 p.m.
Hayfield looked to be cruising early on when Jessie Foster drove a pitch over the center field fence to make it 3-0. It was Foster’s first homer over the fence in her career and it surprised the Knights, who had their first baseman and third baseman playing up in anticipation of a bunt.
Hayfield’s Bhrett Zahnle makes a throw from second base in Hayfield Tuesday. — Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
“It was right there and I just swung,” Foster said. “It felt really good.”
Wagner homered to center field to put the Vikings up 4-1, but Hayfield finished the game with just three hits off of KW’s Kailee Berquam, who struck out 11.
“She hits her spots well, but seeing her three times we should be used to it by now,” Wagner said of Berquam.
KW 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 — 6 8 3
Hayfield 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 — 4 3 5
Hayfield pitching: Joceyln Sanvick (L), 7 IP, 8 H, 3 BB, 6 R, 8 K
Hayfield hitting: Dani Wagner, 1-for-3, HR, RBI, 3 R, BB; Jessie Foster, 2-for-2, HR, 2 RBIs, 2 SB, R, BB; Grace Mindrup, 0-for-3, RBI, HBP; Bhrett Zahnle, 0-for-3; Rachel Masching, 0-for-3; Lezlie Sorensen, 0-for-3; Grace Walker, 0-for-2, BB; Kailee Seimers, 0-for-3; Alysaa Monahan, 0-for-3
Rocky Hulne is the sports editor of the Austin Daily Herald. Follow him on twitter @RockyHulneADH.
