That was especially true considering RRC/WWG lost to Sleepy Eye by just one run in both team’s first game of the season.

But in Tuesday’s rematch between the two teams in a win-or-go-home playoff game at Prairieview Park, the Indians did enough early with their bats and held on for a 5-1 win.

Sleepy Eye (15-6) defeated RRC/WWG 4-3 on April 30, and the Falcons made the Indians work again on Tuesday. The Falcons drove in a run in the seventh inning on three consecutive hits off Indians pitcher Taylor Berkner, but Berkner rebounded with back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.

“They definitely made some nice plays today, hats off to them,” Sleepy Eye head coach Cory Haala said. “Their pitcher threw strikes, didn’t walk batters and they made defensive plays when they needed to and they battled to the end. Hats off to their team giving us a run for their money today. But give credit to our girls, too, with sticking with it. Overall, we played really good defensively, Taylor pitched well and we had some clutch hits when we needed them.”

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Sleepy Eye right fielder Megan Sellner, right, smiles and congratulates center fielder Jaelynn Schauman for making a catch during a Section 2A Softball Tournament game against Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove on Tuesday at Prairieview Park in Sleepy Eye.

Sleepy Eye will now travel to Cleveland to take on this year’s Tomahawk-Valley Conference champion Clippers in a 5 p.m. second-round playoff game on Thursday. RRC/WWG finishes its season 4-17.

Berkner finished the complete-game win by allowing five hits and one walk for one run while striking out 11. Sleepy Eye was led at the plate by sophomore Callie Evers, who was 3 for 3 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored, while Berkner was 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI.

Carlie Ross took the loss in the circle in all seven innings, allowing nine hits and two walks for five runs, three earned, while striking out four. At the plate for RRC/WWG, DeAnn Roiger was 2 for 3.

Sleepy Eye got a run in the first when Jaelynn Schauman took a one-out walk, took second and third on wild pitches and was singled in by Evers on a grounder to left.

Berkner singled in a run in the third, which turned into two runs on an error in center for a 3-0 Sleepy Eye lead. Madison Seifert walked in the fourth and scored on an error in right field for a 4-0 Sleepy Eye lead.

In the fifth, a groundout by Megan Sellner scored Evers, who singled to lead off and was doubled to third by Berkner.

RRC/WWG had a chance to score in the sixth. Alandra Hansen walked with one out in the inning and was sacrifice bunted to second by Kendra Schroeder. A single by Natasha Wahl then gave Hansen a chance to round third and head for home. But a strong throw in by center fielder Jaelynn Schauman to her sister and catcher, Jace Schauman, saw Hansen tagged out at home.

RRC/WWG returned the favor in the bottom of the inning.

Sleepy Eye senior Alex Confer led off with a pinch-hit single into right and took second on a wild pitch. A double by Seifert almost scored Confer, but she was tagged out at home by Wahl on a throw in by Schroeder.

“That was a coach mess-up [laughs],” Haala said of sending Confer home. “[Alex] is a senior I wanted to give that opportunity to hit and score. I’m really happy for her to get that opportunity and get that hit for her senior season.”

In the seventh, Leah Carter had a one-out double to left to keep RRC/WWG alive. A single by Roiger was followed with an RBI single to left by Ross to make it a 5-1 game. Berkner settled in, however, striking out the next two batters to end the game.

Jaelynn Schauman was also 1 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored for Sleepy Eye, while Kenley Jensen added a single.

While Sleepy Eye’s three seniors in Berkner, Jaelynn Schauman and Confer all showed up on the stat sheet Tuesday, Haala said he was also happy with the younger players and how much they’ve grown this year.

“I’m really encouraged by our younger players and our girls who had not as much experience coming into this season that have really started to come around and gel and be confident in themselves and put the bat on the ball and, in particular, play well defensively,” Haala said. “We’re pretty top heavy hitting as far as a team, our top few batters are definitely really good, so if we can get some clutch hits and put the ball in play from some girls we have at the bottom of the order, and those girls also do their job defensively, we will be a pretty tough team to beat.”

Sleepy Eye hasn’t played Cleveland yet this season, but Haala knows his team is in for a challenge with the fourth-seeded Clippers.

“I’ve said this before, but I think whoever wins our section should win the state tournament,” Haala said. “Solid teams. No matter who we play, they’re going to be a good team. We’re just looking forward to the opportunity.”