A five-run sixth inning lifted Jackson County Central to a 6-1 victory over Windom in the Section 3AA softball tournament Thursday.
Following three scoreless innings to start the game, the Eagles’ Anja Nielsen homered with one out to in the fourth to give Windom a 1-0 lead. JCC pulled even in the home half of the fifth when Kinley VanDeVere’s two-out double scored Miley VanDeVere, who had been hit by a pitch.
The Eagles had two runners on base in the top of the sixth on two walks (the second to Nielsen was intentional), but Hadley Wachal worked out of the inning with two strikeouts, one swinging and one looking.
Jackson County Central then broke loose in the bottom half of the inning when it sent eight batters to the plate.
Bailey Finck homered to start the inning and give JCC the lead for good.
After an out, Wachal reached second on an error and stole third. Lauren Johnson’s single made it 3-1.
Miley VanDeVere followed with a home run that made it 5-1, but the Huskies weren’t done. Braelyn Boogerd walked, stole second, went to third on a groundout by CJ Pauling and scored on a passed ball for a 6-1 advantage.
Wachal set Windom down in order in the top of the seventh on two groundouts and her 13th strikeout. She allowed three hits and also walked three. Along the way, the junior recorded the 400th strikeout of her career:
Nielsen, who had pitched a complete game in the Eagles’ 6-1 win over Minneota/Canby earlier in the day, went 5.1 innings and took the loss. Leah Smith got the final two outs.
JCC, the number one seed in the South Sub-Section, now faces North Sub-Section No. 2 seed Dassel-Cokato at 11:30 a.m. Saturday in Marshall. The winner will advance to the championship round next Thursday, while the loser plays at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.