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Eagles prevail twice in 2AAA playoffs

Photo courtesy of Don Borstad New Ulm’s Mariah Piotter delivers a pitch against Marshall in the Section 2AAA playoffs on Saturday in North Mankato.

NORTH MANKATO — A safety squeeze off the bat of Carli Botten scored Joey Batt from third, leading New Ulm to a 3-2, 11-inning victory against Faribault in the Section 2AAA consolation bracket on Saturday at Caswell Park.

The win means New Ulm will play at 5 p.m. on Tuesday against Mankato East in another elimination bracket game. The winner of that game plays Mankato West at 5 p.m. on Thursday and has to beat West twice for the right to go to the state tournament.

Batt led off the top of the 11th inning with a triple, then scored on Botten’s squeeze bunt.

Meleah Reinhart then set down the Falcons in the bottom of the 11th, ending their season at 21-3.

Earlier in the day, New Ulm defeated Marshall 10-0 in five innings to advance.

Reinhart went the distance in the second game against Faribault. She struck out 11 in the game. She allowed seven hits and Faribault stranded 13 runners in the game.

Faribault struck first in the first inning, scoring off Reinhart after McKayla Armbruster’s RBI scored Allison Schak.

The Eagles scored two runs in the third inning off a two-run triple from Batt that scored Teresa Ahlers and Kayla Brandes.

Faribault tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh, but Reinhart struck out three straight with the bases loaded to escape and send the game to extra innings.

That set up Batt’s triple in the 11th inning, where she eventually scored the game-winning run.

In the first game against Marshall, New Ulm scored eight times in the third inning to go ahead 10-0.

Mariah Piotter allowed just one hit in four innings and Ashlyn Donner stranded runners on second and third to end the game.

In that third inning, Ahlers had a two-run double that scored Madison Suess and Emma Bute.

Kayla Brandes added an RBI single and a two-run single by Carli Botten gave the Eagles a 7-0 lead.

The Eagles struggled the first time through the order against Marshall starter Karlie Poljewski, but they were more relaxed the second time around and were able to tee off on her.

“We’ve played them a whole bunch so we wanted to be prepared, and when the second time came around, we knew he had her already and we knew were going to be fine,” Botten said.

Botten, Camryn Schiro and Suess all scored later in the inning as the Eagles grabbed the 10-run lead.

New Ulm scored a single run in the first inning after Botten scored on Suess’ RBI single. Bute scored in the second inning on a Botten RBI.

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