NORTH MANKATO – Martin County West took opposite approaches to winning a pair of elimination games in the Section 2A softball tournament Saturday, keeping the Mavericks alive to play again on Tuesday.
MCW rallied for a 7-6 win over Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart and then got out to a big lead before holding off Springfield for a 9-7 victory.
In their first game of the day the Mavericks trailed 6-2 before scoring one run in the bottom of the sixth and four in the bottom of the seventh. Lauren Borchardt’s grounder drove in the winning run in the seventh.
Taylor Elliott had three hits including a home run and three runs batted in.
Martin County West got out to a 7-0 lead vs. Springfield. The Tigers scored six in the sixth, the Mavericks plated one in the top of the seventh with Springfield scoring once in the home half of the frame.
MCW, 13-8, will play Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s (19-5) at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Caswell.
The Knights have defeated the Maverick twice this season including one earlier in the section tourney, 15-1 on Thursday. St. Mary’s also won 12-6 on May 10.
The winner faces New Ulm Cathedral (19-3) in another elimination game at 7 p.m. Tournament unbeaten Nicollet (20-2) waits in the championship round on Thursday.
SECTION 2A SOFTBALL
Tuesday, May 24
First round
Nicollet had bye
Sleepy Eye 7, Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman 4
Madelia 12, Cleveland 11
Springfield 4, Minnesota Valley Lutheran 0
New Ulm Cathedral 19, Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda 1
Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart 9, Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey 4
Martin County West 12, Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove 2
Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s 14, Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop 1
Thursday, May 26
Second round
Nicollet 10, Sleepy Eye 0
Springfield 6, Madelia 0
New Ulm Cathedral 10, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart 0
Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s 15, Martin County West 1
Saturday, May 28
At Caswell Park, North Mankato
Winner’s bracket
Nicollet 6, Springfield 1
New Ulm Cathedral 13, Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s 6
Nicollet 13, New Ulm Cathedral 2
Elimination bracket
Martin County West 7, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart 6
Madelia 5, Sleepy Eye 2
Martin County West 9, Springfield 7
Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s 8, Madelia 0
Tuesday, May 31
Elimination bracket
At Caswell Park, North Mankato
Martin County West (13-8) vs. Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s (19-5), 5 p.m.
New Ulm Cathedral (19-3) vs. MCW-St. Mary’s winner, 7 p.m.
Thursday, June 2
Championship
At Caswell Park, North Mankato
Nicollet (20-2) vs. elimination bracket winner, 5 p.m.
Second championship game (if needed), 7 p.m.