“It just really wasn’t our day today,” Wabasso head coach Tiffany Eichten said. “We didn’t string our hits together, and then there was a couple of times we let them have a few extra bases. At the state tournament, we’re playing the best of the best here, and giving them those little things, that’s where they got those extra runs when they needed them.”

In the loss to Braham, Aylah Jenniges pitched the full game, striking out four and allowing three runs, one earned on six hits and one walk. At the plate, Macy Rohlik was 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored, while Alivia Olson was 2 for 3. Sara Carlson had the other RBI, while Aubrey Johnson had a run scored.

Braham’s Morgan Rysdam took the second pitch she saw over the fence to start the game 1-0 with the leadoff batter, and Braham added another run in the second inning as an error was put into play. Wabasso got things going in the fourth inning, with Rohlik’s double scoring Aubrey Johnson to cut the lead to 2-1. Wabasso’s defense tightened up as well, retiring the side for the next three innings as a sacrifice fly from Carlson scored Rohlik to tie the game up in the top of the sixth.

Wabasso loaded the bases up in the top of the seventh inning, getting Olson on with a single, Aubrey Johnson with an error, and Jenniges on a hit by pitch. However, with two outs, Rohlik was unable to get a grounder through the middle of the infield, ending the inning.

Staff photo by Ari Selvey Wabasso’s Camryn Irlbeck makes a throw to second base during the opening round of the Class A State Softball Tournament against Braham Wednesday at Caswell Park in North Mankato.

Rohlik made an athletic diving catch down the third base line to start the bottom of the seventh, but the good defense didn’t hold up, with a single and an error getting a walk-off run across for Braham to end the game.

In the game against Blackduck, Jenniges struck out one while allowing seven runs, four earned, on 11 hits and one walk. At the plate, Delaina Eis was 3 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored, while Audrey Johnson had a hit and an RBI. Jenniges and Irlbeck each had a hit and a run scored.

Blackduck scored once in the first, rallying with two outs with a single and a double. The Drakes added two more runs in the third on three hits to extend the lead to 3-0. Wabasso got one back in the bottom of the third with Jenniges drawing a walk before Rohlik singled to advance her to second. A fielder’s choice put into play by Kayleigha Johnson got Jenniges home. Wabasso loaded up the bases after Irlbeck put an error into play, but a popout ended the inning.

Blackduck extended the lead once more with a run in the fourth inning, but Wabasso responded again in the bottom of the inning, with Eis reaching on an error and scoring on another put into play by Jenniges. However, the Drakes scored twice in the fifth to make it a 6-2 game.

Wabasso had it’s biggest inning of the game in the fifth, scoring two runs as Irbeck, Eis and Aubrey Johnson all collected hits for extra bases, scoring two runs. Audrey Johnson reached third on a triple, but was left stranded with a groundout as the score stood at 6-4.

Staff photo by Ari Selvey Wabasso’s Alivia Olson extends for a throw to first base during the opening round of the Class A State Softball Tournament against Braham Wednesday at Caswell Park in North Mankato.

Blackduck added an insurance run in the seventh, and while Wabasso rallied to put two runners on base with two outs in the final half inning, a popup ended the inning without a run.

Wabasso finishes its season with a 19-8 record.

“I’m really proud,” Eichten said. “They haven’t been here before, so I think that first inning of the first game was a few jitters, and then we settled in pretty well. I’m very proud of them, they had a great season. Everyone from our bench to our whole lineup, they brought some serious energy, and it was fun.”

Staff photo by Ari Selvey Wabasso’s Aylah Jenniges delivers a pitch during a Class A State Softball Tournament game against Blackduck Wednesday at Caswell Park in North Mankato.