Kasson-Mantorville Repeats State Crown in Classic Game

I've always said anything worthwhile in life shouldn't be easy, and Kasson-Mantorville's Class AA championship wasn't.

The KoMets repeated, but it took 10 nail-biting innings to accomplish their goal 2-1 over a very good Maple Lake team. Head coach Jeff Fague told KDHL it was the goal all season to repeat, and they did it the hard way. Losing in the subsection final to Zumbrota-Mazeppa meant they had to sweep the Cougars to even get to state.

Senior pitcher Maddie Damon closed out her career with another stellar performance. After a no-hitter in the first game of the tournament and 14 strikeouts and a one hitter (swinging bunt) in the semis and 13 strikeouts, Damon stymied the Irish, scattering six hits (only a couple out of the infield) and fanning 16 batters. Damon didn't walk a batter and it may have been the difference in the title game.

Maple Lake's defense was incredible. In fact, Fague said they were the best defensive team he has ever seen. Running catches in the outfield, stabs of line drives at third base and the shortstop was like a vacuum cleaner.

The offensive hero for K-M was an unlikely one, as it often happens in big games. Junior Laura Kosberg was inserted in the lineup for the first time in six games and man did she produce. Kosberg smacked a no-doubt solo homer in the fifth inning (she told me it was the first home run she has hit at any level of ball) and on the 10th pitch of a feisty at-bat in the bottom of the 10th got the walk-off game-winning hit to plate junior McKenzie Hemann with the winning run. Kosberg worked the count full and fought off four pitches, including a smash that hit Hemann standing at third base. The junior shortstop went down in a heap for a short time but a crane couldn't pull her away from standing at third in the bottom of the 10th with the bases loaded and nobody out in the state title game.

Hemann started the memorable inning with a walk. Junior first baseman Chante Thome came up with everyone in the park anticipating bunt even though she hadn't collected a sacrifice bunt all season. Thome swung away on the first pitch and with everybody nearly in her lap decided on her own to execute a perfect push bunt between the third baseman and shortstop to collect a single. Up next was junior center fielder Kendra Powers. Maple Lake Head Coach Tim Knudsen had the right fielder come in and play third base, anticipating a bunt. The bunt was laid down by Powers and the Irish tried to get Hemann at third base but she was safe setting up the game-winning hit for Kosberg.

The repeat state champs had a homer in every game of the state tournament. A two-run shot by Hemann in the first game against Milaca, a solo homer by Damon in the semis against Hermantown and the Kosberg blow in the title game. The KoMets didn't get a lot of hits at state, and that is customary. They tallied seven against Milaca and six in each of the next two games. K-M did, however, show pop, not only evidenced by their homers, but they also had doubles in the first game by sophomore Mikayla Grant and senior Dana Rasmussen, and a triple by Grant in the semis.

Senior Cori Kennedy told me it wasn't easy watching her teammates from the bench, during the playoff run in particular, but her coach said she called all the pitches during the season for freshman catcher Addie Murry. Kennedy injured her knee at the state basketball tournament in March and missed her senior softball season. The all-stater could have skipped surgery and probably been a designated hitter, but it would have set her back for her college career at Minnesota State-Mankato next season. She won't be able to participate in fall ball but hopes to be ready to go for the Mavericks next spring.

Damon heads to Purdue University next year, and a retired umpire of more than 40 years told me after the game she is the best pitcher he has ever seen. There have been pitchers who could throw the ball harder, but, as he noted, Damon has a number of pitches and she told him after the game she's trying to develop a cutter to go with her speedy riser, drop ball, devastating change up and drop ball. Damon's family is from Indiana, so heading to Purdue is a dream come true for her.

Damon, Grant and Hemann were named to the All-Tournament team. Next season Kasson-Mantorville will get moved up to Class AAA when softball goes to four classes.

Fague says he'll miss the four seniors who have been part of a program that's been in the title game three straight years -- Kennedy, Damon, Rasmussen and Tracy Asche. However Fague noted Thome is a very good pitcher and the added games against stiff competition should make the KoMets are very formidable opponent next season.

The Class A championship was captured by New Life Academy 9-3 over Badger Greenbush Middle River and Eastview of Apple Valley is the Class AAA champ after a 2-1 win over Anoka.