NEW RICHLAND — Tayla Sunde had a triple and home run Monday to back the United South Central Rebels softball team’s 4-1 win at the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Panthers.

Rebels (3-2, 3-0 Gopher) pitcher Ali Ramsley outdueled the Panthers’ Jade Schultz on the mound by striking out 11 batters and walking one. Schultz had an equally impressive strikeout to walk ratio — 12 strikeouts to two walks — but issued three earned runs to the Rebels’ timely hitting.

“It was a big win,” Rebels coach Brad Huse said. “We knew Jade was pitching well, and she did, but we took advantage of some of (her) wildness.”

Each team scored one run in the first inning and the Rebels took a 2-1 lead in the second which lasted until the sixth. The Rebels extended their lead to 3-1 in the top of the sixth before the Panthers threatened in the bottom of the inning with the bases loaded. Ramsley, kept the Panthers (4-3, 3-1) off the board, though.

“Everybody came through when they needed to,” Huse said. “We had good defense, timely hits and good pitching.”

The Panthers were led by Tara Simon who went 2-for-3 with a double and triple. Tori Raimann and Harlee Vokoun also notched two hits for the Panthers in three at bats.

“This was a game that could have gone either way,” Panthers coach Wendy Schultz said. “We had some hard hits to the outfield but USC made some nice catches.”

Ramsley had an RBI double for the Rebels and Kayla Stenzel, Marielle Schultz and Cassidy Latusek each had a hit.

The Rebels play again at 5 p.m. Thursday at Faribault Academies (1-1, 1-1). The Panthers play again at 5 p.m. tonight at Blooming Prairie (4-0, 2-0).

United South Central 4, New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva 1

USC 110 001 1 — 4 6 2

NRHEG 100 000 0 — 1 8 0

WP — Ali Ramsley 7 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 SO

LP — Jade Schultz 7 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 12 SO