Last season United South Central softball coach Brad Huse led a young squad to a 10-10 season and became the Albert Lea Tribune Softball Coach of the Year for the third time.

This year he led the more experienced team to a 13-10 record and a four-game run in the section playoffs and repeats as the Albert Lea Tribune Softball Coach of the Year.

“We had experience at the pitching and the other kids came along nicely,” Huse said. “Once we got the experience things got better.”

With the leadership of senior shortstop Sam Sonnek and a strong cast of emerging juniors the Rebels turned around a season on the brink.

Five games into the season USC stood a 1-5 overall and had just lost its last three consecutive games, but then things started to turn around and the team went 11-4 over its last 15 games, rattling off five straight wins before losing to Jordan in the second round of the section playoffs.

“It was a tough schedule getting out of the gate,” Huse said. “That comes with inexperience at the varsity level.”

The key was turning the defense around because the team knew it could rely on its offense when needed.

“The offense was fine, defensively we just needed to make the routine plays,” Huse said. “It’s basically an easy game once you get your mind right.”

The Rebels hit .318 as a team and would have won more games this year if it they could have closed out games better.

In five games USC led or was tied entering the seventh innings and five times it lost.

“Those are ones you look back at and think about what you could have done better,” Huse said. “Then in the playoffs we were winning those close ones at the end of the season.”

The Rebels won an 3-2, eight inning game against Le Center-Cleveland which showcased the growth of the team.

Huse had 2007 Player of the Year Kellie Robbins carrying most of the workload for the pitchers and she had a terrific year going 8-6 with a 2.19 ERA and striking out 84 in 96 innings pitched, she walked only 14 the entire year.

“Her control is good,” Huse said. “That’s what makes her so successful.”

Huse may have found another arm in freshman Ali Ramsely who pitched only 28 innings, but struck out 34 batters in that span.

Ramsely also came on nicely with her bat as she had a .388 average, 10 RBIs and a .533 on-base percentage, playing a limited role.

“That was a pleasant surprise, seeing her hit the ball the way she did,” Huse said. “She was very productive early.”

Sonnek made the Rebels go with her 17 RBIs, .582 slugging percentage and 25 hits on the year and came one double shy of the setting the school record in doubles in a season.

USC averaged more than five runs a game and blasted Family 12-3 in an elimination game during the section playoffs.

Huse credits the lack of turnover as a key to maintaining a successful program, one that has seen only three losing seasons in his eight years.