“It’s really cool because we get to move on,” Nicollet pitcher Brielle Osborne said. “[United South Central] is going to be tough, but I think it will be a good experience for all the younger kids.”

The Raiders (14-8) will travel to face second-seeded USC on Thursday.

Osborne earned the win for Nicollet, striking out two and allowing five runs on six hits in a complete game. At the plate, Jazmyn Goettlicher was 3 for 4 with two runs scored, while Taylor Wilking was 3 for 4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Madison Kettner had an RBI and two runs scored.

Taylor Mathiowetz took the loss for St. Mary’s, striking out five while allowing four runs on five hits in five innings. At the plate for the Knights, Taylor Mathiowetz was 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs, while Jaylynn Sellner was 2 for 4 with an RBI.

Staff photo by Ari Selvey Sleepy Eye St. Marys' Joslyn Sellner tosses the ball to third base during a Section 2A Softball Tournament game against Nicollet Tuesday at Nicollet High School.

While the Nicollet defense did have a handful of errors, it more than made up for it with some high-level defensive plays in crucial moments. Second baseman Kamryn Truebenbach back-handed a grounder in the fourth for the first out of the inning, and left fielder Wilking had a diving catch to close out the fourth. First baseman Aubrey Hulke also had an unassisted double play in the sixth with a runner in scoring position, snagging a line drive and stepping on the base.

“Two-run [game], that’s huge,” Nicollet head coach Marc Bode said. “Just bringing the energy. I think two or three of those big plays ended innings on that right side. They were pounding the right side pretty hard, and we let them know they were coming. It’s huge, bringing that energy into the dugout on a big defensive play was key.”

That defense held the Knights to just one run on three hits across the first six innings of the game, before a two-run homer by Taylor Mathiowetz sparked a rally for St. Mary’s. However, one final catch by Wilking ended the comeback short.

“For them, it’s the first time most of them have been there,” Bode said. “It’s a young team, putting in that playoff pressure, it showed. But for them to barrel down — went out there to have a little chat with them just to reset them, settle them in. We said, ‘Just make one play. That’s all we need. One pitch, one play.’ And that’s what they went and did.”

St. Mary’s head coach Kayla Mathiowetz said it was the kind of fight the Knights had shown all season.

“Whether they’ve been down by two runs or eight runs, they battle to the last out of the game,” she said. “They don’t say ‘I’m done,’ when a lot of teams would say they’re done. That’s true grit and determination and hunger in the end. Sometimes it’s just not enough.”

Nicollet put up three runs in the first, with Chloe Kachelmeier and Goettlicher getting on base before Kettner put a fielder’s choice into play that scored Kachelmeier. A double by Wilking brought home the other two runs for the Raiders.

Joslyn Sellner got St. Mary’s on the board in the second on a double steal with Jaylynn Sellner, but neither team was able to add to the run total for the next two innings as the defenses held strong. Nicollet got it going again in the fifth, with Wilking coming home as Breah Hendrickson drew a walk with bases loaded, but Taylor Mathiowetz struck out the next batter to limit the scoring. Nicollet kept up the pressure in the sixth, however, with Wilking driving home Zoie Rengstorf with a single, Hulke adding an RBI on a fielder’s choice, and Lydia Martens putting an error into play to score Kettner for a 7-1 lead.

Nicollet needed those insurance runs quickly, as Taylor Mathiowetz hit her homer over the left-center field fence to cut the lead to 7-3. Natalie Zarn kept the scoring going by putting an error into play and bringing home Sydney Tauer, then Jaylen Sellner singled to bring home Joslyn Sellner. Rivers Helget drew a walk to load the bases, but Wilking chased down the final fly ball to secure the victory.

“Defensively we were pretty solid,” Bode said. “We made the plays when we needed to. Taylor Wilking was on her game. Really made the clutch plays, and we had the timely hits. That’s playoff softball. Play good defense, get some timely hits and hope for the best.”

St. Mary’s ends its season with a 9-11 record.

“Lot of growth from these girls throughout the season,” coach Mathiowetz said. “Just in all aspects of the game. It makes me excited to see what they come back with when they come back to the season next year with how they grew this year. I’m looking for more growth next year with this group too.”