Taylor Klabunde is ready to hit the ball against the Jackson County Huskies.

The Blue Earth Area softball team faced an undefeated New Richland-Hart- land-Ellendale-Geneva squad on Tuesday, April 27, and lost by a 15-0 score.

The Panthers, playing on their home field, improved their record to 7-0.

NRHEG’s starting pitcher Sophie Stork pitched a one-hitter and struck out nine Buccaneer batters.

The Bucs traveled to Waseca on Friday, April 30, to face the Bluejays. They will head to Redwood Falls on Monday, May 3, to take on the Redwood Valley Cardinals in a doubleheader.

Look for results of those contests in next week’s edition of the Faribault County Register.

JCC 10, BEA 6

Blue Earth Area produced a five-run rally in the bottom of the sixth inning but fell short of overtaking Jackson County Central in girls softball action on Friday, April 23.

The game, played in Blue Earth, saw the Huskies build a 9-1 lead after five innings and then hold on for the 10-6 victory.

JCC opened the scoring in the top of the first inning. A single, two stolen bases, and an infield grounder put the Huskies on top 1-0.

BEA tied the game in the bottom of the second inning. Clara Ziegler doubled and scored on a single by Claire Sullivan to even the score at one apiece.

The Huskies added two runs in the top of the third and three runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to take a 9-1 lead.

BEA’s five-run sixth inning began with singles by Ashlyn Klinkner and McKenna Dutton. Ziegler walked to load the bases.

Miya Gustafson hit a single down the right field line to score Klinkner and Dutton.

Sullivan walked and the bases were loaded again.

Lily Olson’s single to center drove in Ziegler and Gustafson with the third and fourth runs of the inning.

A double play left Olson as the lone Buc runner on base. Olson stole both second and third base and scored on a single by Mckenzie Benschoter to make the score 9-6 in favor of the Huskies.

JCC got out of the inning without any further damage and then added a run in the top of the seventh to head back home with a 10-6 triumph.

Ziegler collected two hits on the day, a single and a double, and scored two runs.

Gustafson also had two hits while driving in two runs. Olson had one hit and drove in two runs. Sullivan had one RBI on a single.

Kylee Eckmann was the starting pitcher for the Bucs. She pitched three innings and gave up three total runs, one earned run, two hits and two walks while striking out four.

Olivia Dutton pitched the final four innings in relief. She allowed seven hits, walked one and struck out one. She allowed seven total runs – six earned.