Tigers’ season ends with loss to Titans
Published 4:07 pm Saturday, May 23, 2015
![Albert Lea's Hanna Schilling pitches during Saturday's game against Tri-City United at Caswell Park in North Mankato. - Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune](https://www.albertleatribune.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2015/05/0525.al_.sb01.jpg)
Albert Lea’s Hanna Schilling pitches during Saturday’s game against Tri-City United at Caswell Park in North Mankato. – Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune
NORTH MANKATO — The Tigers’ season has come to an end.
Taylor Thompson attempted to jump-start her team’s offense, but Tri-City United defeated the Albert Lea softball team 11-3 in the first round of the Section 2AA consolation bracket Saturday at Caswell Park.
Although the Tigers (9-12, 4-7 Big Nine) lost, the senior class of Haley Harms, Megan Kortan, Alexa Wood, Veronica Silva, Kassi Hardies and Thompson led the program to its most total wins and postseason victories since Minnesota-Scores.net started keeping track in 2005.
Albert Lea’s 29 wins over the last four years surpassed the 22 wins from 2005 to 2012, and the year before this year’s seniors were freshmen, the Tigers didn’t win a game.
In her final game in an Albert Lea uniform, Thompson was 2-for-3 at the plate with singles in the fifth and seventh innings, while getting on base three times. She scored one run for the Tigers, and Bethany Tennis scored the other two. Kortan led the team with two RBIs.
The Tigers jumped out to an early one-run lead in the bottom of the first inning, but the Titans scored five runs in the third and kept the lead for the rest of the game.
Albert Lea scored on an error in the third before scoring its final run in the fifth inning. Tri-City United scored five more runs in the sixth, before tacking on one final run in the seventh inning.
“They had some of those little duck snorts over the infield falling in front of our outfield,” said Tigers coach Dan Harms. “We just didn’t have a chance with those, and they scored three or four runs off of those little bloops.”
Pitching for the Tigers was Hanna Schilling. In her entire seven-inning appearance, she allowed 11 earned runs on 17 hits with six walks and four strikeouts.
Albert Lea starting pitcher Haley Harms has been out of rotation with a broken ankle after a collision with catcher Veronica Silva on a pop-up between home plate and the pitching circle on May 5 at Owatonna. Silva has played limited innings as well.
“It’s not the way that the senior group wants to finish their season, or their careers, for that matter,” coach Harms said. “That’s the way it goes sometimes. We had a good run with this group of seniors. It’s been fun. It’s too bad it’s over.”
- Albert Lea’s Hanna Schilling pitches during Saturday’s game against Tri-City United at Caswell Park in North Mankato. – Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune
- Albert Lea’s Megan Kortan attempts a bunt during Saturday’s game against Tri-City United at Caswell Park in North Mankato. – Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune
- Albert Lea’s Jenna Seavey bats during Saturday’s game against Tri-City United at Caswell Park in North Mankato. – Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune
- Albert Lea’s Bethany Tennis leads off of first base during Saturday’s game against Tri-City United at Caswell Park in North Mankato. – Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune
- Albert Lea’s Dayna Edwards runs to second base during Saturday’s game against Tri-City United at Caswell Park in North Mankato. – Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune