Falcon Softball Team Opens with Impressive Win

The Faribault Falcon softball team had a happy bus ride home from Winona on Thursday night after a 6-1 season-opening win.

Winona has everyone back from last year's team that finished second in the Class 3A State Tournament to fellow Big Nine Conference opponent Mankato West.

The Falcons scored in the top of the first when lead-off batter junior Allison Schak started the game with a walk and was sacrificed to second on a Mikayla Armbruster bunt.

After an out, cleanup hitter junior Bre Bresnahan hit a single to score Schak.

Winona got a lead-off double in the bottom of the first by senior Rihanna Reinardy and Falcon starting pitcher sophomore McKayla Armbruster did a masterful job with help from some solid defense not allowing her to score.

Winona would tie the game in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly after a one-out error by Faribault opened the door for the Winhawks.

Armbruster didn't get rattled and again stranded a runner at third base.

In the top of the sixth inning, Armbruster led off with a solid single and classmate Brooke Flicek went in to run for her.

After a strikeout, Bresnahan coaxed a walk and junior Cassie Swanson stepped to the plate. Swanson grounded out to short her previous two at bats and swung and missed on a couple of high pitches.

With a 1-2 count, I recall saying if I were Winona senior pitcher Ashton Hoeppner I'd throw another one of those. She tried, but Swanson crushed the ball well over the centerfield fence to give Faribault a 4-1 lead.

After the game, Winona head coach Scott Halverson told me it was a very impressive swing with two strikes. It was. Swanson didn't overswing, extended her arms and followed through after meeting the bat with the ball.

The Winhawks would send six batters to the plate in the bottom of the sixth but did not plate a run as Armbruster struck out a pinch hitter with the bases loaded to end the inning.

In the top of the seventh, No. 9 hitter sophomore Lauren O'Neil started the inning with a solid single on a 2-0 count and Schak followed with a first-pitch single. O'Neil would score on a wild pitch after going to third on a wild pitch also and Schak scored on a sacrifice fly by Claire Drentlaw.

Drentlaw came in to pitch in the seventh, sealing the win with a 10-pitch up and down in order and two strikeout effort.

It was Winona's season opener too.

Hoeppner threw 114 pitches, 72 strikes, tallied 11 strikeouts and walked three batters. Two of the walks eventually scored.

Armbruster tossed 92 pitches in her six-inning season debut, 63 for strikes, and walked just one batter while fanning three.

Line totals for Faribault were six runs on seven hits and one error with four runners left on base and two in scoring position. The Winhawks had one run on six hits with one error and left seven runners on base, five in scoring position.

Our Faribault State Farm Insurance agents Falcons of the game were Armbruster, Swanson and Schak.

Winona travels to Owatonna on Tuesday while Faribault hosts Austin.

Our next broadcast will be Thursday, April 13, when the Falcons host Northfield on Power 96 Radio 95.9 FM.

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