Clara Ziegler hits the ball for a double in a game against Nicollet last week.

The Blue Earth Diamonds 18U softball team went on the road to sweep a doubleheader from Nicollet on Thursday, June 29, winning the first game 7-3 before completing the sweep with an 11-9 victory in the second game.

Diamonds 7, Nicollet 3

Nicollet grabbed the early lead when they scored one run in the bottom of the first inning but Blue Earth rallied to claim a 7-3 triumph in a four-inning game.

Blue Earth got their offense going in the top of the second inning when Kylee Eckmann laced a lead-off double to left field. A walk to Sammy Meyers and Clara Ziegler being hit by a pitch filled the bases.

Another walk, this time to Lulu Frank, brought home the first run of the inning. A single by Makenzie Benschoter scored Meyers with the Diamonds’ second run and a walk to Cassandra Hagedorn brought home Ziegler with Blue Earth’s third run.

The Diamonds added three more runs in the top of the third inning to take a 6-1 lead. Blue Earth utilized a combination of singles by Erika Gaydon, Taylor Klabunde and Meyers, a double by Eckmann, Ziegler getting hit by pitch for the second time in the game and another walk to Frank to score their runs.

Blue Earth added one more run in the top of the fourth inning and Nicollet scored twice in the bottom of the fourth to complete the scoring in the game.

The Diamonds had nine hits in the game led by Eckmann who had two doubles. Gaydon also had a multi-hit game with two singles.

Eckmann got the win by pitching all four innings and giving up three runs, two earned, on five hits. She did not walk a batter and struck out 12.

Diamonds 11, Nicollet 9

Blue Earth rallied for six runs in the bottom of the third inning to erase a 9-5 deficit and go home with an 11-9 victory in the second game of the doubleheader, which was ended after the third inning.

Eckmann picked up her second win of the night by pitching all three innings. She was charged with nine runs, six earned, on eight hits. She walked two batters and struck out four.

Erika Gaydon had three hits in three trips to the plate for the Diamonds while Makenzie Benschoter, batting in the number nine slot, led the team with three runs batted in. Aubrey Skaden went 2-for-2 at the plate and drove in two runs.

Diamonds 7, Mankato 7

The Blue Earth Diamonds 18U team and the Mankato Peppers Bobby 16U team played to a 7-7 tie in the first game of a doubleheader in Mankato on Tuesday, June 27.

The games are timed. When the game reaches the time limit, the inning is completed and no extra innings are played even if the game ends in a tie.

The Peppers scored seven runs in the first two innings while the Diamonds pushed one run across the plate to put Mankato on top 7-1.

In the top of the fourth inning, Clara Ziegler led off with a double and the Diamonds were in business. Singles by Ayla Warmka, Makenzie Benschoter, Erika Gaydon, Destinee Griffey and Kylee Eckmann, and Lulu Frank getting hit by a pitch allowed Blue Earth to score six runs and tie the game.

Eckmann pitched all four innings and gave up seven runs, but only three were earned. She surrendered six hits, walked three batters and struck out four.

Ziegler led the offense with two doubles. Eckmann had two hits, including a triple, and Benschoter finished the game with two singles.

Mankato 7, Diamonds 3

The Peppers took the second game by a 7-3 score in five innings.

Mankato scored three runs in the first inning, added another run in the second inning before tallying three more in the fourth inning to account for their seven runs.

The Diamonds scored single runs in the first, second and fourth innings.

Clara Ziegler had two of Blue Earth’s six hits and Makenzie Benschoter had the team’s only extra-base hit with a double.

Kylee Eckmann pitched all five innings and gave up seven runs, all earned, on eight hits. She walked three batters and struck out four.