Photo by Sarah Prouty Minnesota Valley Lutheran’s Taryn Gunderson readies to swing during a South Central Conference softball game against Sibley East Tuesday at MVL High School.

By Jeff Meder

sports@nujournal.com

NEW ULM – Minnesota Valley Lutheran edged Sibley East 17-14 in Game 1 and turned around for a 25-8 win in four innings on Tuesday in a South Central Conference girls softball doubleheader.

In Game 1, it was a tight game from start to finish. Katlyn Stadick earned the win for MVL, striking out two while allowing five runs on eight hits. At the plate for the Chargers, Karlee Prahl was 2 for 2 with a home run and three RBIs and two runs scored, while Briley Henderson was 2 for 2 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Sibley East was led by Morgan Johnson with two hits and two RBIs, while Kamryn Dose had a hit and three RBIs. Kamrie Mauer added two hits and a run scored.

The Wolverines drew back-to-back walks in the top of the first inning. Gracie Straub scored on Johnson’s single. Macie Thoele scored when MVL was unable to complete a strikeout throw to first base. Sibley East led 2-0.

MVL answered in the bottom of the inning when it scored seven runs. Stadick walked and scored on Jessica Menuier’s double. Briley Henderson’s single scored Meunier, which tied it at 2-2. Henderson scored the go-ahead run for MVL on Ashlyn Rodewald’s single which also scored Karlee Prahl who reached on a single. Two wild pitches and an error by Sibley East led to MVL scoring four more runs and it had a 7-2 advantage after one inning.

Morgan Black reached on a fielder’s choice and she later scored on one for MVL’s lone run in the bottom of the second inning. That it made it 8-2 MVL.

The Wolverines responded with four runs of their own in the top of the third inning. Two walks, two doubles, a single and two errors added up to their runs which closed the gap to 8-6.

Stadick got on base by an error in the bottom of the third. She stole third base and scored on a sacrifice. Prahl hit a solo home run over the left field fence, which gave MVL a 10-6 lead.

Sibley East came back again when it scored three more runs in the top of the fourth. Thoele doubled to center field. She later scored on Johnson’s single. Autumn Gaffney’s single scored Johnson. Karmyn Dose singled which brought Gaffney home. MVL held a slim 10-9 lead.

Taryn Gunderson reached second on a stand-up double in the bottom of the fourth. She scored on a wild pitch.

The Wolverines threatened again in the top of the fifth when Straub reached on a bunt. Johnson’s double brought Straub home to cut the deficit to 11-10 MVL. The MVL came up with two key defensive play. The first one came on a 6-2 putout at the plate. Later, MVL’s center fielder made a running shoestring catch to end the inning and hold Sibley East to only one run.

Henderson got a leadoff double to center field in the bottom of the fifth. Prahl scored Henderson on a single. Prahl scored on a sacrifice which made it 13-10 MVL.

Karmyn Dose got an infield single when raced down the first base line and beat the throw to the bag. She later scored. Emma VanDamme walked and she later scored which made it 13-12 for MVL. Straub’s score tield it at 13-13. Thoele reached on a double. Johnson stepped up and she hit a double to centerfield which gave the Wolverines their first lead of the contest at 14-13.

Sibley East had the momentum in the bottom of the sixth. It made some costly mistakes and that gave MVL another chance to win the contest. Stadick got a single to center field. She advanced to second and third on back-to-back wild pitches by Sibley East. An error brought Stadick home to tie it at 14-14. Meunier walked. Henderson reached base on an error. Meunier and Henderson later scored to regain MVL’s lead at 16-14. Prahl got a hit and later scored on a sacrifice for MVL’s final run of the game.

The Wolverines were not done. In the top of the seventh, Karmyn Dose singled to rightfield. Marisol Valdez got an infield single. A strikeout and an unassisted putout at first base by Briley Henderson ended the threat and it gave the Chargers the win.

Stadick earned the win again in Game 2, striking out one and allowing four runs on five hits in two innings pitched. At the plate, Henderson went a perfect 5 for 5 with five RBIs, a double, a triple and three runs scored, while Prahl was 4 for 5 with four RBIs, a triple and a run scored. Stadick was 3 for 3 with four RBIs and five runs scored, while Meunier was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Sam Dalueg and Grace Onken each added two hits, and RBI and two runs scored, while Rodewald was 2 for 5 with a triple and two runs scored. Taryn Gunderson was 2 for 3 with three runs scored, and Nora Grace Otto was 3 for 4 with two RBIs and three runs scored.

Thoele led the Wolverines at the plate, going 2 for 4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Brianna Kettner was 2 for 3 with two RBIs, while Kamryn Dose was 3 for 3 with three runs scored.

MVL (2-4, 2-0) will play a doubleheader at Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial on April 22. Sibley East will host Waseca at 4:30 p.m. on Monday in Gaylord.