NORTH MANKATO, Minn. -- On a windy day at Caswell Park, Chelsey Evans took the wind out of Hermantown's sails.
The Pipestone Area senior pitcher tossed a four-hitter and struck out 14 as the Arrows defeated the Hawks 2-0 in a Minnesota Class AA high school softball state tournament semifinal this morning played in winds gusting up to 40 mph.
Pipestone (20-4) scored both runs in the first inning on a wild pitch, then didn't have a baserunner the rest of the game. Bailey Bouman and Evans each singled with Bouman moving to third on a force out. A wild pitch on a 3-2 pitch to Nicole Buysse scored Bouman, with Brooke Henderson coming home when the Hawks tried to throw out Buysse running to second base.
Hermantown sophomore Megan Mullen settled down after that, allowing just two hits, striking out eight and retiring the final 16 batters.
Hermantown (21-4) moves on to play Becker, a 6-0 loser to Orono in the other semifinal, in a 2 p.m. third-place game. Pipestone seeks to defend its state title against Orono.
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MAPLE LAKE 3,
LITTLEFORK-BIG FALLS 1
The Irish ousted the Vikings from the Class A championship round by scoring single runs in the second, fifth and sixth innings to overcome an early deficit in the semifinal game.
Ashley Kempenich tossed a three-hitter and struck out 16, shaking off Whitney Junker's RBI double in the opening inning, to send Maple Lake to its first championship game. The Irish (25-2) are scheduled to meet New Life Academy (20-5), a 9-0 winner over Wabasso, for the title. Littlefork-Big Falls (20-6) faces Wabasso (24-3) for third place at 2 p.m.
Vikings senior pitcher Kelly Hams threw a five-hit complete game, struck out four and scored her team's only run.
