The Minnewaska Area softball ended the final week of the regular-season with a 1-2 record after splitting a doubleheader with Benson last Tuesday night at home, 11-13 and 8-7, and falling at Osakis, Thursday.

The Lakers go into the postseason with a 2-13 overall record and 2-10 mark in the WCC.  Morris Area-CA won the WCC title with a perfect 12-0 record, followed by WCA and Melrose (both 9-3), Sauk Centre (4-6), Montevideo (2-8) and Benson Minnewaska Area (both 2-10).

The Lakers earned their two WCC wins with 8-7 victories over Montevideo and Benson.

This week is the start of the Section 3AA playoffs and the Lakers were seeded seventh in the north half of the section and were set to play at West Central Area at 2 p.m., Tuesday, May 23 (tomorrow).

If Minnewaska loses the first game it is eliminated, but if they upset the Knights, they would play the winner of the #3-Dassel-Cokato and #6-NLS game at 5 p.m. the same night and location.

Morris Area earned the top seed and was set to host #8-Montevideo, #4-ACGC and #5-Litchfield the same night.

Benson 13-7, Waska 11-8

The Lakers split a doubleheader with Benson last Tuesday night at home.  Benson had 20 hits during a 13-11 win in the opener, while the Lakers scored eight runs over the second and third innings to win the second game, 8-7.

Minnewaska held leads of 4-2 and 8-7 against the Braves, but couldn’t hold it either time.  Benson scored three runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings to rally for the victory.  Three players had four hits each to lead the Braves.

For Minnewaska, Leslie Murken was 3-for-4 with three runs, a double and four stolen bases, while Ally Mogard was 2-for-3 with three runs, two RBI, a walk, two doubles and four stolen bases, and Ella Roering was 2-for-4 with a run and RBI.

Taking the loss on the mound was Mataya Mix, who pitched the first six innings before giving way to Murken.

Also coming through with hits for the Lakers were Jenna Drewes, Kylee Klassen, Ava Staples, Lauren Stryhn, Emma Poegel and Grace Larson.

•  In the second game, Benson scored two in the first, but Minnewaska scored six in the second and two more in the third to take the lead for good.

Leslie Murken earned the pitching victory after giving up 11 hits, seven runs and three walks over seven innings with three strikeouts.

Offensively, the Lakers had seven players with one hit each; Jenna Drewes, Murken, Ally Mogard, Emma Poegel, Grace Larson, Ava Staples and Brooklyn Armstrong.

Osakis 15, Waska 6

The Lakers rapped out 15 hits, but left at least nine baserunners stranded during a 15-6 loss at Osakis, Thursday night to close out the regular-season.

Minnewaska scored one run in each of the first three innings, but Osakis countered with two in the first and three in the second to take a 5-3 lead through three before adding six more runs to take control of the game in the fourth.

Emma Poegel went 4-for-4 with two stolen bases and an RBI to lead the Lakers’ offense, while Leslie Murken was 3-for-4 with three runs, an RBI-double and stolen bases.

Mataya Mix took the loss on the mound, giving up nine hits and 10 runs (only five earned) over 3 2/3 innings before giving way to Murken, who pitched the final 2 1/3 innings.

Ally Mogard and Emara Sanow added two hits each for the Lakers, while also coming through with hits were Jenna Drewes, Grace Larson, Ella Roering and Lauren Stryhn.

Benson 13, at Waska 11

Benson 2 2 3 0 3 3 0 — 13 20 1

Waska (1-12) 4 0 1 3 0 3 0 — 11 13 1

HITTING:  WASKA-Leslie Murken 3-for-4, 3 runs, double, 4 sb; Ally Mogard 2-for-3, 3 runs, 2 RBI, bb, 2 doubles, 4 sb; Ella Roering 2-for-4, 1 run, RBI; Jenna Drewes 1-for-1, 1 run; Kylee Klassen 1-for-1, RBI; Ava Staples 1-for-1, 1 run, sb; Lauren Stryhn 1-for-3, 1 run, bb, triple; Emma Poegel 1-for-3, 1 run, RBI, bb, double, 2 bb; Grace Larson 1-for-2, RBI, bb, sb; Amara Sanow 0-for-4, RBI; Mataya Mix 0-for-3, bb . . . BEN-Mya McGeary 4-for-6, 4 runs, RBI, 4 sb; Hailee Ellingson 4-for-5, 2 runs, 2 sb; Sophie Krusemark 4-for-4, 1 run, 5 RBI, bb, 2 doubles, 2 sb; Ellie Krusemark 3-for-3, 3 runs, RBI, 2 bb, 2 sb

PITCHING:  WASKA-Mataya Mix (L, 1-8)  6-19-13-13-7-7; Leslie Murken 1-1-0-0-0-0. . . BEN– Mya McGeary (W)  7-13-11-11-5-5

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at Waska 8, Benson 7

Waska (2-12) 0 6 2 0 0 0 0 — 8 7 0

Benson 2 0 0 4 0 0 0 — 7 11 2

HITTING:  WASKA-Jenna Drewes 1-for-5; Leslie Murken 1-for-3, 2 runs, 2 bb; Ally Mogard 1-for-2, 1 run, RBI, 2 bb; Emma Poegel 1-for-4, 1 run, RBI; Grade Larson 1-for-4, 2 RBI; Ava Staples 1-for-3, 1 run; Brooklyn Armstrong 1-for-3, 1 runs, RBI; Lauren Stryhn 0-for-1, 2 runs, 3 bb . . . BEN-Emma Krusemark 3-for-4, 1 run, 4 RBI, double

PITCHING:  (ip-h-r-er-bb-so):  WASKA-Leslie Murken (L, 1-4)  7-11-7-7-3-3. . . BEN– Presley Nygaard (L)  7-7-8-8-8-7

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at Osakis 15, Waska 6

Waska (2-13) 1 1 1 0 0 3 0 — 6 15 5

Osakis 2 3 0 6 0 4 x — 15 15 —

HITTING:  WASKA-Emma Poegel 4-for-4, 2 sb, RBI; Leslie Murken 3-for-4, 3 runs, RBI, double, sb; Ally Mogard 2-for-4, RBI, double; Emara Sanow 2-for-4, RBI; Jenna Drewes 1-for-4, 1 run, 2 sb; Grace Larson 1-for-4, RBI; Ella Roering 1-for-4, 1 run, sb; Lauren Stryhn 1-for-3, 1 run, 3 sb . . . OSAKIS-K. Leburn 4-for-4, 3 runs, RBI; C. Thieschafer 3-for-5, 1 run, 5 RBI; three others with two hits each

PITCHING:  (ip-h-r-er-bb-so):  WASKA-Mataya Mix (L, 1-9)  3 2/3-9-10-5-2-3; Leslie Murken 2 1/3-6-5-4-3-0 OSAKIS– B. Dropik (W)  7-15-6-6-2-3

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