NEW ULM - Following a 7-3 victory in Game 1, the Southern Minnesota Diamonds completed a sweep of the New Ulm 18U team with a walk-off 3-2 victory in Game 2 in Thursday night softball action at Harman Park.
Darcie Bottem (complete game) earned the win for the Diamonds in Game 1, with Carlie Maasz (complete game) taking the loss.
Paige Pautzke (2-for-4, run) paced New Ulm's offense in Game 1, with Mandee Heiderscheidt (1-for-2, two runs), Emily Wessel (home run), Karlie Heiderscheidt (2-for-2) and Bailey Klingbeil (3-for-3, two runs) leading the way for the Diamonds.
In Game 2, Sydney Schuck earned a complete-game victory and Maddy Helget took the loss while also pitching a complete game.
The two teams ended regulation tied at 2-2, inducing an international rules tiebreaker to resolve the contest, in which each team receives a runner on second with no outs to begin each extra inning. Bottem drove in the winning run for the Diamonds with a walk-off bunt in the bottom of the eighth.
Brittany Hoffmann (1-for-3, triple) and Kali Denn (1-for-3, double, run) led the way on offense for New Ulm, with Schuck (1-for-2, RBI) and Deonna Brinkman (1-for-2, double, run) leading the way for the Diamonds.