Maddie McDonald

The Blue Earth Area Buccaneer softball team won a thriller over Waseca on Tuesday night, defeating the Bluejays 6-5 at home.

“This was a real big win for us,” Buc mentor Bob Hanson says. “It will give us a lot of confidence.”

The Bucs got their six runs on six hits. Waseca had 10 hits, but also committed four errors to BEA’s one.

Maddie McDonald went all seven innings for BEA, striking out six and walking three.

“Waseca has a real good pitcher, a former Blue Earth girl, Dani Collins,” Hanson says. “We had five strikeouts, but we put the ball into play well against her.”

It was a game of great defensive plays, Hanson says.

“Alicia Rorman had two fantastic catches in center field,” he says. “One was a running grab with two outs that kept Waseca from scoring some runs. The other was in the fourth inning with the bases loaded. She made the catch for an out and threw to home for a double play.”

The game was tied at 1-1 and again at 3-3. BEA was up 6-3 and had to fend off a Waseca 2-run rally in the seventh for the win.

Bridget Moore was 2 for 4, one run and an RBI. Kristen Johansen was 1 for 2 and knocked in two runs.

Hayley Pirsig and Cali Rauenhorst were both 1 for 3. Rorman didn’t get a hit, but scored twice and had an RBI.

The win evened the Bucs overall season record at 6-6, and their conference record at 3-3.

JCC 6, BEA 1

In a weather-related postponed game, the Blue Earth Area Buccaneers lost to Jackson County Central 6-1 last Monday night.

The Bucs’ Megan Wirtjes was the pitcher, giving up nine hits, striking out one, and walking one.

“She did a pretty good job of pitching,” Buc Coach Bob Hanson says. “I’m pleased with the job she did.”

The Huskies have an excellent pitcher, Kate Rentschler, who kept the Bucs to just four hits. Alicia Rorman was the leading hitter, going 2 for 3. Ashley Campbell and Rochelle Hernandez got the other two hits.

“The key to the game was a 3-run homer hit by Jackson’s Shalee Nelson,” Hanson says. “It sealed the fate of the game.”

Hanson had high praise for the Bucs’ shortstop, Mariah Cooke. She made some excellent plays fielding the ball, he said, stopping a lot of potential Huskie hits and turning them into outs.

BEA 4, USC 2

“It was a good game, very well played,” Buccaneer Coach Bob Hanson said about a matchup between Blue Earth Area and United South Central on Friday, April 24.

The Buccaneers prevailed over the Rebels 4-2.

“USC is a very good club, so we had to play well to win.” Hanson said.

The Bucs were behind 2-0 in the fourth inning when they got to the plate and pounded out four straight hits from the bottom of their order.

Cali Rauenhorst, Mary Johnson and Mariah Cooke all had base hits, followed by Bridget Moore, who was 2 for 2 for the game.

“They were some very timely hits,” Hanson commented. “We got our four runs that inning.”

Maddie McDonald went the distance for BEA, giving up just three hits, striking out seven and walking four.

USC pitchers Ali Ramsley and Kellie Robbins combined to strike out six and had no walks.