Poegel, Mogaard, Mix among leaders for Laker softball
Sports | Published on June 19, 2023 at 2:27pm CDT
The Minnewaska Area softball team ended the season with a 2-14 overall record, which included a 2-10 mark in the WCC to tie with Montevideo and Benson for sixth place. The Lakers beat Montevideo and Benson by identical 8-7 scores for their only wins.
Morris Area won the league title with a perfect 12-0 record, followed by West Central Area and Melrose Area (both 9-3), Sauk Centre (6-6), and Montevideo, Benson and Minnewaska (all 2-10).
Seniors lost to graduation from this year’s team, coached by Jason Weber and Jacalyn Skoglund, are Leslie Murken and Kylee Klassen.
Season statistics
The Lakers batted .267 as a team this year with an on-base percentage of .392. Minnewaska Area scored 66 runs in 16 games for an average of just over four runs per game.
Ninth-grader Emma Poegel led the Lakers this season with a .419 batting average and .490 on-base percentage. She also had team highs of 49 plate appearances, four doubles (tied with Ally Mogard) and one triple (tied with Jenna Drewes).
Junior Ally Mogard was second with a .324 batting average and .489 on-base percentage, while also batting above .250 were junior Jenna Drewes (.295), senior Leslie Murken (.294) and ninth-grader Ella Roering (.278).
Other regular players finishing the season with an on-base percentage of at least .300 were Murken (.478), Roering (.409), Drewes (.404), Emara Sanow (.371), Lauren Stryhn (.366) and Grace Larson (.302).
Drewes and Murken led the Lakers with 12 runs each, while Drewes had a team-best 13 hits and 19 stolen bases, Grace Larson had a team-high 11 RBI, and Murken led the Lakers with 12 walks/hit-by-pitch.
The only pitchers for the Lakers this season were sophomore Mataya Mix (1-10 overall record) and senior Leslie Murken (1-4).
This year’s varsity softball roster included seniors Leslie Murken (ss, 3b, of, p) and Kylee Klassen (of); juniors Jenna Drewes (of), Grace Larson (c, 3b, 1b, of), Ally Mogard (2b), Melanie Lara (of), Emara Sanow (of) and Trelana Johnson (of); sophomores Morgan Meyer (of, c), Lauren Stryhn (1b), Mataya Mix (p, 1b) and Annahbelle Ernst (of); and ninth-graders Mesa Kittelson (2b, of), Ella Roering (ss, 3b, 2b), Ava Staples (c, p, of, 1b) and Emma Poegel (c, 3b, of).
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