Advertisement
Waseca slipped past the Ramblers 4-3 Wednesday in a tightly-contested semifinal match, ending Cotter’s season and deep postseason run.
With the match tied 3-3, Cotter’s Bobby Kim and Collin Michener were locked in a 1-1 tie with Waseca’s Nick Hanson and Mitchell at No. 3 doubles.
Hanson and Mitchell took the third set 6-2 to give Bluejays the match on their second three-set winner.
“We had them right where we wanted,” Cotter coach Blake Duden said. “A couple three-set matches got away from us and that was it.”
The Ramblers finished the season 8-11, but showed growth in the playoffs. Waseca defeated Cotter 5-2 earlier this season, with every point coming in straight sets.
“This was our best total team effort of the entire season,” Duden said. “Top to bottom that was our best match of the year. As a coach that’s what you want at the end of the year.”
Cotter’s Ross Heymans defeated Patrick Flor 6-4, 6-4 at No. 1 singles, while Jake Demarais defeated Nick Hoelmer 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 at No. 2 singles.
Connor Ferris and Ludi Leser picked up a 7-5, 6-4 win for the Ramblers at No. 2 doubles.
“It was a good group of guys that came together at the end and made a good run in the playoffs,” Duden said.
Softball
Section 1AAA playoffs
Red Wing 7, WSHS 1
AUSTIN, Minn. — Krista Bigelbach led the No. 11 seeded Wingers in an upset, and sent the sixth-seeded Winhawks to the loser’s bracket.
WSHS (9-12) will play the loser of Rochester Mayo and Rochester John Marshall at 5 p.m. Friday in Austin. The Winhawks went 1-1 against both Big Nine Conference foes during the regular season.
Bigelbach struck out 11 in a complete-game, two-hit victory and went 4-for-4 with nearly half of Red Wing’s 10 hits. Wingers sophomore Megan Fleming went 2-for-4 with a double and four RBIs.
The Wingers (6-13) were up 5-0 before Megan Lueck drove in Megan Flanigan for the Winhawks’ lone run.
Lueck and Brittni Turvey each went 1-for-2 to account for Winona’s hits.
WSHS freshman Erin Buswell pitched four innings in relief, after inheriting a 4-0 deficit, and struck out two.
