Jackson County Central is one of the final two unbeaten teams in the Section 3AA softball tournament after a 5-4, nine-inning win over Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta Saturday in Marshall.
The win was the 12th straight for the Huskies and puts them in the winner’s bracket final at 5 p.m. Tuesday vs. Pipestone, also in Marshall.
Hadley Wachal struck out 20 Tiger batters on Saturday.
According to research by former coaches Shelly Hotzler and Corey Pauling, that is a new school record, breaking the mark of 17 by Blaney Johnson in 2016.
JCC got on the board first as Lauren Johnson was hit by a pitch and eventually scored on a wild pitch in the first inning.
MACA scored twice in the top of the fifth for a 2-1 lead, but Bailey Finck got the lead right back for the Huskies in the bottom of the inning with a two-run homer with two outs.
A two-out, two-run inside-the-park homer in the sixth gave the Tigers a 4-3 lead, but Jackson County Central would rally in the seventh, with Alexis O’Reilly delivering a two-out single to drive in Johnson and send the game to extra innings.
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, O’Reilly doubled and then scored on Mady Wachal’s single for the walk off win.
O’Reilly was 4-for-4 and Finck had two hits, including the homer.
JCC, 15-8, will renew its rivalry with Pipestone (19-5) Tuesday. The Arrows have won the section title six straight times there has been a tournament.
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta (18-3) and Dassel-Cokato (10-11) will also play at 5 p.m. in the elimination bracket.
The winner of the game between the Huskies and Arrows advances to the championship round Thursday.
The JCC-Pipestone loser will meet the MACA-DC winner at about 7 p.m. Tuesday.
SECTION 3AA
Tuesday, May 23
South Sub-Section
At Luverne
Luverne 10, Redwood Valley 0
Jackson County Central 16, Minneota/Canby 1
Jackson County Central 9, Luverne 4
At Pipestone
Windom 4, Renville County West/BOLD 2
Pipestone 3, Windom 1
North Sub-Section
At Morris
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 10, Montevideo 0
Litchfield 13, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 2
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 10, Litchfield 0
At Barrett
West Central Area 12, Minnewaska Area 0
Dassel-Cokato 6, New London-Spicer 0
Dassel-Cokato 9, West Central Area 3
Saturday, May 27
At Marshall
Winner’s bracket
Jackson County Central 5, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 4 (9 innings)
Pipestone 4, Dassel-Cokato 1
Elimination bracket
Windom 10, West Central Area 6
Luverne 9, Litchfield 5
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 5, Windom 4
Dassel-Cokato 5, Luverne 4
Tuesday, May 30
At Marshall
Winner’s bracket
Jackson County Central (15-8) vs. Pipestone (19-5), 5 p.m.
Elimination bracket
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta (18-3) vs. Dassel-Cokato (10-11), 5 p.m.
JCC-Pipestone loser vs. MACA-DC winner, 7 p.m.
Thursday, June 1
At Marshall
Championship
JCC-Pipestone winner vs. elimination bracket winner, 5 p.m.
Second game to follow if necessary, 7 p.m.