Sports
PHOTOS: Holy Angels Softball Rallies to Top Minnehaha Academy
Stars surge in final innings to claim their first victory of the season, 9-8, at Taft Park on Tuesday.
A furious late-game surge secured win No. 1 of the 2011 season for the Holy Angels softball team as the Stars, trailing 8-3 with two outs in the sixth inning, rallied to defeat Minnehaha Academy by a score of 9-8 at on Wednesday.
Holy Angels came into the game without a run to its name after being shut out 10-0 and 6-0 in its first two contests of the spring at Totino-Grace and Farmington, respectively, as they held an 0-2 record as of the first pitch of the home opener.
However, the Stars took a prompt 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as Claire Girouard drove home Sally Keis on an RBI single before a fielder's choice to right field by Livia DeSylvester plated Kate Workman with the second run.
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Minnehaha bounced back to take a 4-2 lead in the top of the third inning, with Holy Angels inching back to 4-3 in the bottom half of the frame as Hilary Malecha's fielder's choice scored Workman with the Stars' third run of the afternoon.
The Redhawks appeared to seize control of the contest by increasing their edge to 8-3 over their next three turns to the plate and Holy Angels was staring at a five-run deficit with two runners on and two out in the bottom of the sixth inning.
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Yet, back-to-back RBI hits from Keis and Bridget Williams drew the Stars to within 8-5 before the inning ended, giving the hosts hope and a stage from which to launch their seventh-inning assault.
After setting Minnehaha down in order in the top of the final frame, Holy Angels opened their final turn at-bat with Taylor Lemke leading off and reaching base before Hilary Malecha's double drove her home to make the count 8-6.
With one out and two on, Workman drove home Malecha on an RBI single to make it 8-7 and put Laura Jaede at third.
It didn't take long for both to score as Anne Baregi's sacrifice fly drove in Jaede, who slid home ahead of the throw from the outfield, with a Keis single driving home Workman with the game winner to touch off a joyous celebration on the Stars' side of the field.
With the non-conference win, Holy Angels improves to 1-2 overall as the Stars now prepare to travel to Shakopee for a 4:30 p.m. start Thursday. Holy Angels returns to Taft Park for back-to-back home games against Missota Conference opponents Chanhassen and Northfield at 4:30 p.m. next Monday and Tuesday, respectively.