Rabbits score 10 runs in 4th to down Chargers

Staff photo by Ari Selvey
Wabasso’s Lyla Kittleson (11) celebrates with teammate Audrey Johnson (4) after scoring a run during a Tomahawk Conference softball game against Minnesota Valley Lutheran on Monday at MVL high School.

NEW ULM — Wabasso stayed hot on Monday with a 15-0 win against Minnesota Valley Lutheran in four innings of a Tomahawk Conference softball game at MVL High School.

The game was called after four innings due to the 15-run lead rule.

It was Wabasso’s fourth win in a row and the Rabbits have won six of their last seven games, improving to a 10-4 record, 10-3 in conference.

“I think we’re really starting to dial into the little things,” Wabasso head coach Tiffany Eichten said. “And the little things are what are going to win ballgames. We’re really starting to have a good flow and communication on the field.”

MVL, meanwhile, drops to 2-10, 1-9 in conference.

Avery Carlson got the win for the Rabbits, striking out two while allowing no hits in the game and hitting one batter. The Wabasso defense committed one error in the strong winds that made it difficult for both sides to corral pop flys. At the plate for Wabasso, Lyla Kittleson had a triple, three runs scored and three RBIs, while Annabelle Struntz had a hit, two RBIs and two runs scored and Alivia Olson had a hit, two RBIs and a run scored.

Katlyn Stadick took the loss for MVL, striking out six while allowing seven hits and 15 runs.

Stadick had a strong first two innings for the Chargers, allowing one hit and striking out four in the first two frames. However, Carson also had MVL’s bats on lockdown, keeping the Chargers off the scoreboard. Wabasso broke out with a five-run third inning, highlighted by a pair of two-run singles by Struntz and Olson.

“We were just a little lackadaisical the first two innings,” Eichten said. “We talked about it between innings, just how we needed to dial in and focus in, and they really did.”

Wabasso continued the scoring in the fourth, scoring 10 runs due to a shaky stretch by Stadick, who walked five in a row during the inning. Stadick hung in to get a pair of strikeouts to end the inning, but the damage was done and Carlson got the three outs in the bottom of the fourth to end the game.

Wabasso travels to Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s on Thursday. MVL hosts Sleepy Eye on Thursday.