NORTH MANKATO, Minn. -- It's against Minnesota State High School League rules, but Silver Bay would have benefited by transferring several runs from its first game of the Minnesota high school softball tournament to its second game. The Mariners would have been wise to shift some of their second-game errors as well.
After routing Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 12-2 in six innings in a Class A quarterfinal at Caswell Park on Thursday, a different Mariners team appeared to show up in the semifinals. That team generated just four hits and committed seven errors in an 8-1 loss to New Life Academy.
Silver Bay (24-5) meets Wabasha-Kellogg (23-7) for third place at 11 a.m. today.
New Life Academy strung together an infield single, a bloop single, a double and a Silver Bay fielding error to take a 2-0 lead in the second inning.
"A confident team became unconfident real quick," Mariners coach Mike Guzzo said. "There was hesitation all over the place -- dropped balls on third strikes, dropped balls at first base. That ain't our team."
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The game slipped away in the fifth inning as the Eagles (23-3) scored four runs on three hits and three more Mariners errors. The private school, located in Woodbury, added a pair of runs on two more Silver Bay errors in the sixth.
"It's pretty tough," shortstop Libby Guzzo said. "It was disappointing how we did and we let ourselves down, but we're happy to be here and we'll see how we do [today]."
Silver Bay reached the state title game a year ago, losing 7-6 in nine innings to Springfield to deny the school its first state title.
Guzzo tossed a three-hitter and had two of the Mariners' 16 hits in their opener.
Silver Bay scored four runs in each of the first two innings and pounded 11 hits off Fighting Saints starter Patina Queenan in that opening salvo.
"We knew we had to hit right away," Mike Guzzo said. "With the wind blowing out, it looked like a hitter's field."
Libby Guzzo and Biz Huss doubled in runs and Natosha Rohloff doubled in two runs as the Mariners took a 4-0 lead before KMS came to bat. Guzzo and Rohloff each drove in two more runs as the Mariners rolled to an 8-0 lead in the second inning.
When Katherine Michalski and Kirstin Sandstrom drove in runs in the sixth, it gave Silver Bay enough runs to institute the 10-run rule.
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Quarterfinals
Silver Bay;440 022 - 12 16 1
Kerkhoven-MS;000 011 - 2 3 4
WP: Libby Guzzo 6IP, 3H, 1ER, 5K, 1BB. SB: Kirstin Sandstrom 3x5 (2B), 3R; Olivia Paulseth 3x4; Guzzo 2x4 (2B), 3RBIs; Sam Downey 2x4, 2RBIs, 2R; Natosha Rohloff 2x4 (2B), 4RBIs; Biz Huss 2x2 (2B), 2BB; Katherine Michalski 2x4 (2B). KMS: Patina Queenan 2x3 (2B).
Semifinals
New Life Academy;020 042 0 - 8 8 2
Silver Bay;000 001 0 - 1 4 7
WP: Danielle Schmidt 7IP, 4H, 1R, 11K, 2BB. LP: Sam Downey 7IP, 8H, 2ER, 1BB. NLA (23-3): D. Schmidt 2RBIs; Olivia Mann 2RBIs; Katie Stodolka 2R; Jenny Ramey 2R; Kristin Stein 2B; Kelsey Mazzon 2B; SB (24-5): Downey RBI single in 6th.
