Junior pitcher Megan Mullen tossed 19 shutout innings to lead Hermantown to its first state championship game since 2002, while Silver Bay's run at a first state title came to an end today at the Minnesota high school softball state tournament at Caswell Park in North Mankato, Minn.
Mullen blanked Waseca 1-0 in 12 innings in a Class AA quarterfinal decided when Julia Gilbert ran through her coach's stop sign at third base to score the only run, then shut out Ottertail Central 5-0 in the semifinal round.
Hermantown (26-3) advances to play either Pipestone Area or Minnehaha Academy in Friday's 1:30 p.m. championship game.
Mullen struck out 22 in the opener, tying the previous state-tournament record set last year by Orono's Chelsey Durland. In the game before Hermantown took the field, however, New Life Academy's Danielle Schmidt whiffed 32 batters in an 11-inning Class A quarterfinal win over Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial to not only smash the tournament mark but top Mullen's state record of 31 set earlier this season in a 14-inning win over Virginia.
For an encore, Schmidt struck out 14 and no-hit Silver Bay in a 5-0 semifinal win.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Mariners (20-7), who cruised past an error-prone Chatfield team in the quarterfinals, meet the loser of the Maple Lake vs. East Grand Forks Sacred Heart game for third place at 11 a.m. Friday.
