Hermantown Advances Back To Title Game

Click Here For The Hermantown vs Pipestone Box Score

Click Here For The Hermantown vs Mankato East Box Score

June 10

Dwight Cadwell-NSO

MANKATO- Hermantown has advanced to the softball state championship game for the second straight season. The Hawks are looking to defend their state title and their fourth state title overall. Hermantown has been the state runners-up twice as well.

Hermantown defeated the second ranked Pipestone Arrows 2-1 in quarterfinal action, and it was a 1-0 no-hitter for Megan Mullen as the Hawks shut out Mankato East 1-0 late Thursday night.

The first game on Thursday afternoon pitted the number one and two ranked teams in Class AA against one another. It was a hard fought battle between two great teams and two excellent pitchers. Mullen of the Hermantown Hawks and Bailey Bouman of the Arrows battled in a great match-up all game long.

The Arrows scored their lone run in the bottom of the third inning when Amber Haupert singled to center field. She then stole second and scored on a RBI double from Bouman.

Hermantown scored in the top of the sixth inning when, with one out, Julia Gilbert singled. She then advanced to second on a pass ball and continued to move to third on a wild pitch. Gilbert scored on an infield groundout from Rudi Summers. The Hawks scored the game winning run in the top of the seventh inning when Ellen Folman singled to right field. Haley Wargin pinch ran for Folman. Wargin moved to second on a single from Step Thun. A single to right center by Olivia Carlson gave Wargin and the Hawks the game winning run.

The Arrows threatened in the bottom of the seventh but Hermantown’s Megan Mullen pitched herself out of the jam and the Hawks came away with the 2-1 win. Mullen was the winning pitcher, giving up one run on four hits while striking out 10 Arrow batters. Gilbert finished with two hits in the win.

The night cap of the evening saw the Hawks facing Mankato East in the Class AA semi-finals. The Cougars’ Nicole Ries, a sophomore pitcher for Mankato, came out strong, allowing nine hits in the game. Yet, Mullen once again stole the show, throwing a no hitter and striking out 16 Cougar batters. Mullen also drove in the only run of the game when she singled in Julia Gilbert in the top of the fifth inning to advance the Hawks back to the state title game.

Hermantown ended with nine hits and left six runners on base, but the timely hit from Mullen was all the Hawks needed. Gilbert finished the game with three hits for Hermantown. Mullen was 2-for-3, and Summers, Step and Katie Thun each had singles as did Mackenzie Herzig for Hermantown.

Hermantown faces Park Center in the Championship game Friday at 2:00 pm

Dwight Cadwell can be reached at dwight@northlandsportsonline.com