They forged their own path. There was no precedent. They didn’t learn from last year’s run, or the run the year before, or any run the last two-plus decades. The last time M-C softball won a play-off game was 1993. Aided by upsets, and from a gaggle of good (successful elsewhere) athletes across five grades, Kati Bergey’s Cougars are 1A East Champs. M-C (4-seed, 11-5) first took out L-A (5-seed, 7-13). The Cougars scored seven over the fifth and six innings to prevail 9-3. Kim Hauber (2-4, RBI, 2 R), Hannah Snell (2-3, RBI, R), Maddy Michels (2-4, 2B, RBI), Kenidi McCabe (2-3, RBI, R), and Lexi Thorson (1-2, 2B, 2 RBI) keyed the attack. Harley McCabe (7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K) got the win. Upset springer R-P (8-seed, 2-19) then came to Mabel. The Trojans led 2-1 after three. A Thorson 2-run single put M-C up 3-2 (fourth). R-P pulled to down 4-3. M-C scored three in their sixth to ensure victory, 7-3. Batters three (Coranda Vickerman 3-4, 3B, RBI, R), one (Thorson 2-4, 2 RBI, R), and two (Payton Danielson 2-3, R) had seven of M-C’s 11 hits. K-McCabe (1-2, R) added an RBI-triple, H-McCabe (7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER) the win. Joy Hundorf (2-3, 2B, RBI, R) and Skalet (1-3, RBI, 6 IP, 11 K, Loss) paced R-P. M-C then faced Southland (6-seed, 5-15) in Wabasha. The Coug’s put up five in the second (5-1), and added a couple in the sixth (7-2). The Rebels had the bases loaded, down 7-3, with no out in the seventh (tying run at the plate). A fly-out and two ground-outs ended it. M-C prevailed 7-4 to claim an improbable 1A East title. Hauber (2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R), Danielson (2-4, 2 RBI), Thorson (2-3, RBI, R), and H-McCabe (7 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 K, 8 BB< Win) led the way. The Cougars (14-5) made it through both the L-A and Southland games without striking out. After a 2-3 start, M-C has gone 12-2. GMLOK (18-6) and M-C’s next foe, 1A West champ Hayfield (16-6), are the two losses.
Cougars Blaze Trail to 1A East Softball Title
