DRAMATIC HOMER — Fairmont slugger Tegan Livesay (left) delivers a low-five to Cardinals’ head coach Cory Hainy after Livesay hammered a walk-off three-run dwelling run in opposition to Belle Plaine throughout Section 2AA playoff softball motion at Caswell Park in Mankato on Saturday. (Photo by Greg Abel)

MANKATO — Tegan Livesay guided Fairmont’s softball program into unchartered territory throughout postseason motion Saturday at Caswell Park.

Livesay piled up a playoff-game school-record 24 strikeouts and hammered the dramatic walk-off three-run dwelling run within the backside of the ninth inning to assist the No. 2-seeded Cardinals cage the No. 3-seeded Belle Plaine Tigers, 4-1, in a conflict of Section 2AA unbeatens.

Minnesota State University softball commit Chloe Brandt then fired a three-hit full sport on the power of 11 strikeouts and tripled dwelling No. 4-seeded Le Sueur-Henderson’s preliminary run to squeeze the Giants to a 2-1 win over Fairmont through the closing sport of sectional unbeatens late Saturday afternoon in Mankato.

Fairmont (19-3) faces the winner between Belle Plaine and No. 1-seeded New Ulm in a 7 p.m. final-three showdown again at Caswell Park on Tuesday evening.

New Ulm eradicated No. 6-seeded St. James Area by a 4-2 choice, whereas Belle Plaine nipped No. 5 Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial in a 6-5 nail-biter on Saturday to earn spots in Tuesday’s 5 p.m. elimination sport in Mankato.

“The first game took a lot of energy out of us to rally for the win in extra innings,” mentioned Fairmont head coach Cory Hainy, whose lineup turned the primary in this system’s historical past to achieve the ultimate spherical of sectional unbeatens. “We thought we had it gained when Tegan singled dwelling Ava (Terfehr) to go up 1-0 within the backside of the fifth, however we couldn’t maintain the lead.

“Give Belle Plaine credit for battling to the end and tying it on Rachel Johnson’s clutch RBI single in the top of the seventh to eventually force extra innings.”

Knotted at 1, Cameron Chard produced a one-out single to middle for Belle Plaine through the high of the ninth. Livesay acquired No. 3 batter Ciara Fahey to fly out with out advancing Chard, however Johnson tried to produce extra hitting heroics to her sport resume by cranking a sinking liner simply contained in the right-field line.

Terfehr sprinted laterally and made a sliding snow-cone snag of Johnson’s hit to disclaim the Tigers the go-ahead run.

“What a huge defensive play by Ava in the top of the ninth,” mentioned Hainy.

Terfehr then transitioned from defensive standout to offensive catalyst by lining a single to left area to guide off the Cardinals’ backside of the ninth.

Belle Plaine ace right-hander Sienna Bemmels acquired an infield popout earlier than Anna Ehlert produced the largest hit of her prep profession by lining a single to left to convey Livesay to the plate. Livesay stepped into the batter’s field and swatted a towering three-run blast over the fence in left-center for the walk-off game-winning HR.

“I really can’t tell you what pitch she (Bemmels) threw, I just hit it hard and it went out,” Livesay mentioned in reference to her team-leading fifth HR of the spring.

Ironically, Livesay’s 24 Ks eclipsed this system’s postseason strikeout document of 20 that she set throughout Thursday’s second-round sectional win over Medford. The Southeast Missouri State softball commit has produced a staggering 54 strikeouts throughout her 23 innings of labor in three playoff video games.

Livesay issued just one stroll and allowed one unearned run on two hits in 9 innings pitched to earn the complete-game victory.

Livesay, Nevaeh Rahm and Terfehr every went 2-for-4 to high the Cardinals’ nine-hit efficiency in opposition to Belle Plaine, whereas Ehlert, Brylee Miller and Emily Muller provided one hit every.

Bemmels gave up 4 runs on 9 hits, struck out 10 and issued three walks in 8 1/3 innings to soak up the loss for the Tigers.

Ironically, the LSH Giants utilized a “small-ball” bunting technique to assist tempo their first-inning lead and eventual 2-1 conquer Fairmont in Saturday’s closing conflict at Caswell Park.

Teagan Graham bunted to guide off the sport for LSH and reached second when the following throw sailed off-line. Bailey Lehman bunted Graham to 3rd base with one out earlier than the left-handed hitting Brandt went reverse area with a Livesay pitch and drove it over the Fairmont outfielder’s head for an RBI triple and early lead.

Livesay and Brandt then locked up in a prep pitching traditional duel by way of 4 full frames earlier than Graham drove within the go-ahead and eventual profitable run through the fifth.

Madison Wilbright reached second base when her bunt was thrown away at first base earlier than Livesay recorded two of her 10 strikeouts. The left-handed hitting Graham then legged out a bunt to plate Wilbright — who had stolen third base — for an insurance coverage run and 2-0 lead.

Rahm stored Fairmont’s probabilities alive by lining a one-out single through the backside of the seventh inning earlier than pinch runner Haleigh Grotzinger scored on Ava Gillmore’s single and ensuing outfielder error.

Brandt, nonetheless, notched her eleventh and closing strikeout of the sport to strand Gillmore at second base with the potential tying run.

“I loved our fight at the end of the second game. How we didn’t let up and tried to either force extra innings or win it,” mentioned Hainy.

Livesay added Fairmont’s third hit on the competition.

Livesay gave up two extra unearned runs on 4 hits, struck out 10 and didn’t problem a stroll in seven innings in opposition to LSH to soak up the loss.

Brandt fanned 11, hit one batter, walked one and allowed an unearned run on three hits in seven innings pitched to earn the complete-game win.

BP   000 000 100 — 1 2 2

FA   000 010 003 — 4 9 1

Winning run scored with one out within the backside of the ninth inning.

Sienna Bemmels (LP) and Cameron Chard. Tegan Livesay (WP) and Chantel Moeller.

LOB–Fairmont 10; Belle Plaine 2. HR–Tegan Livesay (Fairmont).

•

LSH   100 010 0 — 2 4 3

FA     000 000 1 — 1 3 3

Chloe Brandt (WP) and Madison Wilbright. Tegan Livesay (LP) and Chantel Moeller.

LOB–Fairmont 4; Le Sueur-Henderson 3. 3B–Chloe Brandt (LSH). SAC–Bailey Lehman (LSH) 2, Teagan Graham (LSH).