7th-inning outburst
Eagles break tie game to down Huskies
New Ulm scored eight runs in the seventh inning to break open a tie game and beat Jackson County Central 11-5 in the Big South Conference softball championship game Saturday.
The Huskies scored first, scoring a run in the bottom of the second inning. With one out, Hadley Wachal singled and was replaced on the bases by courtesy runner, Clara Brinks, who stole second and third base, scoring when the throw to third got away.
The Eagles put two runs on the board in the third and another in the fourth for a 3-1 lead.
JCC got to within 3-2 when Wachal led off the fifth with a home run to left field.
The Huskies tied it in the sixth as Brinks led off the inning with a single and eventually scored on a single by Bailey Finck.
New Ulm scored eight times in the top of the seventh, with JCC scoring twice in the home half of the inning.
Hadley Wachal had three hits for the Huskies, who end the regular season with an 18-3 record.
Hadley Wachal pitched three innings, with Mady Wachal going the final four.
New Ulm has played in seven of the 10 BSC championship games, winning five. Jackson County Central was playing in its second Big South tittle game, having also lost to New Ulm in the first-ever conference championship game in 2015.
JCC’s last conference championship was a Southwest Conference title in 2006.
The Huskies are scheduled to open the Section 3AA tournament at home Tuesday.
They’re the No. 1 seed in the South Sub-Section and will host two games. Fourth-seeded Windom plays fifth-seeded Canby/Minneota at 4 p.m., with the Huskies facing the winner.
Big South Conference softball champions
Small School Division
2015: Jackson County Central
2016: Pipestone
2017: Pipestone
2018: Pipestone
2019: Pipestone
2020: Season canceled
2021: Pipestone
2022: St. James Area
2023: Pipestone
2024: Luverne
2025: Jackson County Central
Large School Division
2015: New Ulm
2016: St. Peter
2017: New Ulm
2018: New Ulm
2019: New Ulm
2020: Season canceled
2021: St. Peter
2022: New Ulm
2023: Fairmont
2024: New Ulm
2025: New Ulm
Championship games
2015: New Ulm 10, Jackson County Central 1
2016: Pipestone 5, St. Peter 2
2017: New Ulm 3, Pipestone 0
2018: Pipestone 3, New Ulm 1
2019: New Ulm 3, Pipestone 0
2020: Season canceled
2021: Pipestone 3, St. Peter 2
2022: St. James Area 3, New Ulm 0
2023: Fairmont 4, Pipestone 1
2024: New Ulm 10, Luverne 4
2025: New Ulm 11, Jackson County Central 5
