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EDGERTON — Russell-Tyler-Ruthton and Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian are two of the finest Class A softball programs in the entire state.
Last year, the Dutch claimed the Class A state title with a 10-5 victory over Badger/Greenbush/Middle River, while Wabasso eliminated the Knights during the Section 3A tournament. Both schools finished with 18 victories.
And both teams are off to stellar starts during the 2024 campaign, and the drama was so thick during Thursday’s Red Rock Conference clash you needed a steak knife (not a butter knife).
R-T-R pitcher Kya Alderson set the table for Laken Baartman by drawing a walk to open up the sixth inning.
Russell-Tyler-Ruthton’s Laken Baartman (17) is greeted at home plate by her teammates after slugging a two-run home run during the Knights’ 2-0 victory over Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian on Thursday, April 25 at Edgerton City Field. (Photo by Eric Viccaro)
Baartman handled the rest, slugging a two-run home run over the fence in left center field, giving the Knights an eventual 2-0 victory over the Flying Dutch.
What made Baartman’s dinger all the more impressive? It was against winds howling 27 mph.
This marked Baartman’s sixth home run of the season to that point.
“It was certainly a great game between two teams with solid pitching,” R-T-R head coach Darren Baartman noted. “In a tightly contested pitcher’s duel as that game was, sometimes it does come down to one swing of the bat.”
As Baartman noted, the margin of error was small — and neither team wanted to lose.
Edgerton/SWC pitcher Maddie Feikema and Alderson combined for a whopping 24 strikeouts, and the pair surrendered just seven hits.
Feikema also walked four Knights in a 110-pitch performance. Meanwhile, the Minnesota West Community and Technical College-bound Alderson didn’t allow any walks while throwing 95 pitches in picking up the victory. She recorded a 78.9 percent strike rate.
Baartman went 2-for-2 with a walk while Alderson walked twice and Briella Buchert walked once, accounting for the only Knights baserunners.
Meanwhile, Myah Vander Maten accounted for two of four Dutch hits, while Cathyrn Feikema and Elliott Fleischmann also had base knocks.
Cathryn Feikema opened the bottom of the seventh with a line-drive single to left field; however she was stranded at second base after Reagan Walhof’s pop out to Paisley Thooft, a Vander Maten ground out to Alderson and Mateya Gilbertson swinging strikeout.
Gabrielle Borresen makes a crucial catch for Russell-Tyler-Ruthton during the sixth inning. (Photo by Eric Viccaro)
With the win, R-T-R improved to 8-1 on the season while Edgerton/SWC dropped to 4-3.
Diamond Notes
R-T-R and Edgerton/SWC will meet again on Tuesday, May 7, this time at Tyler in what’s sure to be another competitive clash.
Beforehand, the Knights will play Minneota on Wednesday, Red Rock Central/Westbrook/Walnut Grove Thursday and Yellow Medicine East in Granite Falls next Monday, May 6.
The Dutch played Wabasso this past Monday and Murray County Central in Slayton Tuesday. They also play Mountain Lake Area-Comfrey today and Luverne Friday, May 3 — with both games at Edgerton City Field.
Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian shortstop Myah Vander Maten throws toward first to complete an out during a game versus Russell-Tyler-Ruthton on Thursday, April 25, at Edgerton City Field. (Photo by Eric Viccaro)
BOX SCORE
Thursday, April 25
At Edgerton
Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 2, Edgerton/SWC 0
R-T-R 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 — 2 3 1
E/SWC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 4 0
WP: Kya Alderson, R-T-R, seven innings, no runs, four hits, 11 strikeouts, no walks
LP: Maddie Feikema, E/SWC, seven innings, three hits, two earned runs, 13 strikeouts, four walks
XB: Laken Baartman, home run
