Knights tie Wolverines

Published 9:04 pm Monday, May 11, 2015

Jessica Price of Alden-Conger throw a pitch to Glenville-Emmons' Lani Poole Monday at Alden. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

Jessica Price of Alden-Conger throw a pitch to Glenville-Emmons’ Lani Poole Monday at Alden. — Micah Bader/Albert Lea Tribune

ALDEN — Despite extending the game to eight innings, the perfect storm of injuries and weather caused a stalemate.

Alden-Conger pitcher Jessica Price was bashed in the knee with a comebacker, and a leg injury by Glenville-Emmons pitcher Madi Ziebell resulted in a dead ball.

The temperature hovered in the 40s with rain and drizzle, and the Glenville-Emmons softball team tied Alden-Conger 6-6 Monday at Alden.

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The umpires made the decision to end the game with input from Wolverines coach Lisa Ziebell and Knights coach Gary Nelson.

“Both of our pitchers were wounded, and there’s no sense in pushing it when we’re this close to the section playoffs,” Nelson said.

Ziebell led Glenville-Emmons from the pitching circle. She had 15 strikeouts and gave up five walks, 10 hits and three earned runs.

“I’m proud of the girls,” said coach Ziebell. “They’ve come a long way since the season started, and it was fun to see them come up big when they needed to.”

Price led Alden-Conger’s defense. She had eight strikeouts and gave up 11 walks, five hits and six earned runs.

After Alden-Conger took a one-run lead in the bottom of the first, Glenville-Emmons responded with five unanswered runs. A two-out two-RBI double by Savanah Schipper gave the Wolverines a 5-1 lead in the top of the third.

The Knights cut their deficit to one run, 5-4, in the bottom of the fifth on a two-RBI double by Renae Linn.

“We’ve been improving especially in the bottom of the order,” Nelson said.

Glenville-Emmons had a chance to close out the game in the bottom of the seventh, but Alden-Conger’s Cassie Gilster hit a lead-off triple and scored the tying run when she stole home on a wild pitch. The ball bounced off the fence directly to Glenville-Emmons’ catcher, but the tag was too high.

“That was lucky,” Nelson said. “Cassie showed good hustle and slid under it.”

In the top of the eighth, the Wolverines recaptured the lead with a single by Kayla Gerber to score Schipper.

The Knights knotted the score in the bottom of the inning when a double by Gilster scored Kasey Knutson. After the third out, the game was deemed a tie.

“Alden-Conger kept fighting back,” coach Ziebell said. “They wouldn’t go away. They had key hits at key times, and you always know when you play Alden-Conger that they have a few girls who can smash the ball.”

Knutson, Gilster and Linn led Alden-Conger with two hits.

Ziebell and Schipper tied with a team-high two hits for Glenville-Emmons.

Next, Alden-Conger (5-8-1 overall) will host Cleveland at 5 p.m. today. Glenville-Emmons (2-5-1 overall) will host Houston at 4:30 p.m. today.