Kylee Eckmann gets set to make contact against St. James.

A 10-run outburst in the bottom of the fourth inning propelled the host New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Panthers to an 18-3 victory over the Blue Earth Area Buccaneers in a non-conference softball game on Tuesday, April 18.

The Panthers got out of the gate in a hurry with three runs in the bottom of the first inning.

BEA scored three runs in the top of the third inning to tie the game at 3-3.

Lily Olson walked to get the Bucs’ rally started. She stole second base and advanced to third base on a single by Berkley Hagedorn.

After a strike out, Erika Gaydon hit a ball to the shortstop who threw out Olson at home plate while Hagedorn checked in at third base.

Kyla Roiger’s double brought home Hagedorn with BEA’s first run while Gaydon moved to third base.

Gaydon scored on a wild pitch before Kylee Eckmann tripled to right field to bring home Roiger with the Bucs’ third run to tie the game at 3-3.

NRHEG retook the lead when they scored five runs in the bottom of the third inning.

Leading 8-3 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, the Panthers brought an early end to the game when they scored 10 times to lead by 15 runs after four innings.

Eckmann took the loss for the Bucs. She worked three innings and gave up 11 runs on 13 hits. She did not have a walk and she struck out one batter.

Olivia Dutton pitched the fourth inning and surrendered seven runs on six hits. She walked one batter and struck out one.

St. James 2, BEA 1

A seventh-inning rally by the Blue Earth Area Buccaneers came up just short and the visiting St. James Saints escaped the 14th Street Softball Diamonds with a 2-1 victory in a game played on Monday, April 17.

The Saints scored their only two runs of the game in the top of the third inning.

BEA pitcher Olivia Dutton, who turned in her finest pitching performance of the year, blanked the Saints offense for the other six innings.

The Bucs had five hits to four for the Saints. Kyla Roiger had two of BEA’s hits.

Dutton took the loss after pitching seven innings and allowing two earned runs on four hits. She did not walk a batter and had eight strike outs.