It was a wild day for the Albert Lea softball team at the New Richland Invitational tournament Saturday, but one where the Tigers continued to show their resiliency.

Albert Lea won the tournament with a 3-0 record and a come-from-behind championship victory in a rain-soaked game with a fifth-inning rally.

The rain started coming down shortly before the Tigers took the field against Kasson-Mantorville for the tournament championship and picked up as the game started. Shortly after the game started the umpire decided to shorten the game to five innings because of the rain and Albert Lea needed all five innings to score a 6-5 win.

The Tigers gave up five runs in the third inning to the Komets and had very little going offensively, but as the game entered the bottom of the fifth Albert Lea senior shortstop Jenna Christensen called on her teammates to get up off the bench.

Christensen got the team fired up and also led off the inning with a single to get the rally started. The next seven Tiger hitters reached base as Albert Lea scored six runs to win the game.

Laura Gaudian hit a comebacker to the pitcher, but Kasson-Mantorville threw the ball away which allowed Sarah Heijerman to score from second base for the game-winning run.

The win gave the Tigers their first tournament win in at least nine years and also surpassed last year’s win total while giving Albert Lea its fourth consecutive victory.

The Tigers (4-5, 0-5 Big Nine) also posted a 13-6 against Glenville-Emmons in the tournament opener and held off NRHEG 7-6 in their second game.

Lana Howe picked up two victories for Albert Lea and Nichelle Klatt earned a win against the Wolverines.

Albert Lea 6, Kasson-Mantorville 5, 5 innings

Kasson-Mantorville 005 00 — 5 7 2

Albert Lea 000 06 — 6 13 1

WP — Lana Howe 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 6 K

Albert Lea 7, NRHEG 6

Albert Lea 300 003 1 – 7 11 1

NRHEG 200 001 3 – 6 7 1

WP — Lana Howe 7 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 5 BB, 7 K

Albert Lea 13, Glenville-Emmons 6

Glenville-Emmons 000 131 1 — 6 9 0

Albert Lea 160 240 0 — 13 17 0

WP — Nichelle Klatt 7 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 4 K