Class 2A Softball: Pequot Lakes finishes as state runner-up

Z-M 7,

Pequot Lakes 0

The key: Morgan Olson pitched a 2-hit complete game with 12 strikeouts.

Overall: PL finishes 25-4, ZM finishes 26-1.

NORTH MANKATO-The best season in Pequot Lakes Patriots softball history came to an end Friday with a 7-0 loss to the Zumbrota-Mazeppa Cougars in the Class 2-A state championship game at Caswell Park.

This season the Patriots set a program record with 25 victories in 28 games and reached the state championship game for the first time. Meanwhile the Cougars finished 26-1 after capturing their first softball title.

"We're just thrilled with our season," said Pequot Lakes coach Bret Sergent. "We played so well on the first day of state. We beat Pipestone, and they won the consolation title, and we beat Rockford, and they finished third. We just ran into a very good pitcher (the Cougars' Morgan Olson) today."

Olson, a senior who will be pitching at the Division I level for North Dakota State University next season, allowed just two hits against Pequot Lakes, by Haley Wiebolt and Alex Kotaska, and only a total of four hits in three tournament wins. The left-hander also struck out 12 Patriots.

"(Olson) was very good," said Wiebolt, Pequot's senior shortstop. "I think she was the best pitcher we've seen all year."

Another Patriot senior, Jessica Faacks, agreed.

"(Olson) threw harder than most pitchers we've seen, and she moved the ball around," Faacks said..

Meanwhile, the Cougars' offense took advantage of two infield errors to score four unearned runs in the second inning. The big blow was a two-run triple by Olson.

Zumbrota-Mazeppa added three runs in the fifth on RBI hits by Natalie Majerus and Kat Hodgman and a sacrifice bunt by Lyndsey Quam.

With one out in the top of the seventh, the game was delayed four hours as lightning turned into heavy wind, rain and hail. The puddles around the infield and dugouts were eventually cleared, and the game resumed although the Patriots were not able to mount a comeback.

"We knew we needed to play a clean game like (Thursday)," Sergent said. "We knew we had to keep (Z-M) to one or two runs because they were the No. 1 team (in 2-A) all season for a reason. And then we misplayed two bunts in the second inning, and that lead to four runs. That hurt us, but we didn't give up.

"It could have been a much closer game if we would have made the plays, but hats off to them."

Pequot Lakes pitcher Kathryn Miska allowed 10 hits, but she also had seven strikeouts. The senior set school records with 321 strikeouts and 25 pitching wins this season.

Z-M finished the tournament with a .277 batting average, the best among all 2A teams. The Cougars also did not give up an earned run over the two days.

Olson finished the tournament with 21 innings pitched, allowing just five hits and striking out 31. At the plate, she was 5-for-11 with four RBIs and a run scored in three games.

Zumbrota-Mazeppa 040 030 0-7 10 1

Pequot Lakes 000 000 0-0 2 2

Pequot Lakes: Kathryn Miska and Caitlyn Carkhuff.

Zumbrota-Mazeppa: Morgan Olson and Aubrey Reuter.

WP: Olson. LP: Miska. 2B: ZM-Olson.