Reaching New Heights: Pipestone 18-U softball team claims runner-up finish at elite Rising Stars Tournament


 

A young and rather small, numbers-wise, Pipestone 18-U softball team took another step in its development over the weekend, claiming runner-up honors at the elite Rising Stars Tournament Saturday and Sunday at Caswell Park in North Mankato – finishing with a 5-1 record against stiff competition from across the state.

Although the Pipestone squad bowed out to an extremely gifted and well-coached MN Blast (Black) club from Duluth/Cloquet, 7-1, in the championship game Sunday evening, the girls were more than happy with their play throughout the weekend – committing just three defensive errors in six tilts.

“We got a lot of games in, more than we were expecting, and were able to see a lot of good pitchers,” said Pipestone starting pitcher Jessa Reinert, who finished with a 4-1 record and struck out 24 batters in 26 frames. “We also made a lot of plays this weekend and we’re improving every game.

“I think other than being tired in this last game our infield was extremely solid. The infield made hardly any errors and, being as young as we are, our confidence is growing every game.”

“Yeah we bonded a lot this weekend and we’ve improved a lot since the beginning of the summer,” added soon-to-be sophomore all-purpose player Kyla Hubbling. “I think we can get the corners up a little more in bunting situations, but overall, our infield has been strong. We had a couple of errors in the later games, but we were pretty clean fielding the ball this weekend. I’m excited for more games this summer and getting into the high school season next year… might do some damage.”

  Kyla Hubbling started one game in the circle and spelled Reinert in the title contest, fanning seven over eight innings of work over the two-day tournament – demonstrating her versatility among a team of extremely protean players.

“Yes, it is a very flexible group,” Pipestone head coach James Skyberg said. “The four sophomores that are here now are going to have big roles on the varsity next year. They’re very versatile; I can put them on the infield or outfield and Melody (Remund) can do both and catch. And Kyla can pitch; I know she doesn’t want to, but we’re going to have another pitcher the rest of the summer so she’ll be able to play where she feels most comfortable playing.”

Having shot themselves in the foot with slow starts to their two previous tournaments this summer, Pipestone turned its lethargy around from the get-go Saturday against the MN Stars – being extremely aggressive on the base paths in scoring three runs on three hits over the first two innings.

“That’s something that we couldn’t do the last couple of weekends; we started off slow and couldn’t get on (base) right away, especially in the first games of those tournaments,” Skyberg said. “But the second games of both those tournaments we got it down and started running. We did that from the start in this tournament, but the emphasis was more focused on hitting right away, especially after our second batter. We wanted to start hitting with those girls and they were hitting line drives quite a bit – early.”

Early run production served Pipestone well throughout the weekend, freeing them up to make moves while, perhaps more importantly, limiting the opposition’s opportunities to make similar moves.

“Oh, it is,” Skyberg said. “When we do that, the girls are a little looser and I can call on them to make moves on the bases. Playing ahead they’re always going to be more comfortable doing what they need to do rather than being pressured to get a run to get back – tie it up or get a lead. I know the girls like it and it helps get them pumped up right away.”

Unfortunately, the team that played each of its six games with just nine players in the dugout, due to centerfielder MacKenzie Manderscheid requiring eight stitches in her knee after Saturday’s tilts, simply ran out of gas against a MN Blast (Black) in the final contest (seven full frames) of the tournament.

MN Blast (Blk) 7, Pipestone 1

The hot-swinging Blast came out firing Sunday evening, plating two runs on two hits and a walk in the opening frame. And having given up just two runs in their previous five games, the Duluth-based side set Pipestone down in order in the bottom of the first.

Alana Mayry (triple) and Kendra Winberg (single) followed up Josie Steen’s sharp leadoff single down the first-base line to plate two more runs in the top of the second – giving the Blast a 4-0 lead after a frame and a half.

To its credit, Pipestone battled back in the bottom of the inning to score one of just three runs the Blast would give up over the weekend. Centerfielder Paige Ahrendt led off with a single to left field, and Nicole Pals drove in the 2020 PAS graduate with a two-out line drive RBI single to left-center field – trimming the deficit to three at 4-1.

A tiring Reinert gave up one more run in the top of the third before yielding to Kyla Hubbling in the fourth.

Trailing 5-1, Pipestone’s switch to the younger hurler paid immediate dividends, as the Blast proved too eager against Hubbling’s slower delivery. Although Hubbling’s quick 1-2-3 inning gave Pipestone a modicum of momentum, an equally expedient bottom of the fourth had the adjusted Blast ready to bang out a few more runs in the top of the fifth.

“Kyla threw well when she came in, and it’s nice to have someone else to step in when I had nothing left,” Reinert said. “She should have confidence in pitching; she’s better than she thinks she is. I definitely got more tired as the weekend went on. I was feeling good through the three games yesterday. We had to give it our all to get to the finals; we were trying, but we were just pretty dead that last game.”

Kyla Hubbling indeed threw well, but two errors by a fatigued infield gifted the Blast an additional pair of unearned runs – accounting for the final margin of victory.

Ahrendt finished with two hits and scored Pipestone’s run. Pals had an RBI drive, while Marli Taubert and Melody Remund also had base hits against the Blast.

 

 

MN Blast       221 200 0 – 7 9 0

Pipestone      010 000 0 – 1 5 2

 

Pipestone 3, Mankato Peppers (Richards) 1

As Reinert suggested, Pipestone players had to ‘give it their all’ just to get to the championship game. And Pipestone did just that, dispatching an extremely athletic Peppers club with timely hitting and smart base-running.

Scoreless through two frames, Pipestone snatched a slim 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning on singles by outfielder/infielder Madelyn Wiese and first baseman Kayla Hubbling (RBI). The former led off the frame with a sharp single through the left side of the Pepper’s defense, and the latter – who finished with two hits for the game – plated Wiese with a drive up the middle.

“I don’t know, I think I was seeing the ball better today, and my teammates definitely helped me out,” said Kayla Hubbling, whose bat came alive on Sunday. “They just know I’ll do what I can at the plate; I don’t always get a hit, but they know I’ll move them around a base or two.”

After working her way out of a jam in the bottom of the third, Reinert (1ER, 5H, 3K, 1W) led off the top of the fourth with a single to left field. Taubert, running for Reinert, advanced to third base on Kyla Hubbling’s sacrifice bunt and claimed the plate moments later on Pals’ double to right-center field. The speedy catcher/outfielder also came home in the inning, as she and second baseman Isabel Baartman worked a teasing double-steal to perfection – giving Pipestone a 3-0 lead. 

Wiese thwarted the Pepper’s bid to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the inning, tracking down a deep two-out drive to right field.

The Peppers capitalized on a leadoff double in the bottom of the fifth, but a Reinert strikeout and solid infield fielding by Remund (third) and Baartman (second) held them to a lone run for the game.

Kayla Hubbling (RBI), Wiese (run) and Reinert (run) finished with two hits apiece, while Pals (RBI) scored a run and Taubert moved runners with a pair of sacrifice bunts.

 

Pipestone 001 20 – 3 7 0

Peppers (Rich.) 000 01 – 1 5 1

 

Pipestone 9, Venom 1

Despite giving up one run on a home run to fall behind in the bottom of the second inning, Pipestone advanced to the Gold Bracket semifinals with a solid all-around outing Sunday morning against the Dodge Center-based Venom.

Reinert shook off the early dinger and was backed up with another errorless defensive effort, giving up one run on three hits while fanning five over six frames.

Pipestone snatched the lead for good in the bottom of the third inning, scoring two runs on three hits from Baartman (run), Taubert (RBI, run) and Kayla Hubbling (RBI). Pals’ triple turned into a marker in the ensuing inning as the Venom right fielder missed the cutoff – allowing the fleet-footed catcher a clear path to the plate.

Pipestone padded its 3-1 lead by six runs in the bottom of the sixth to end the tilt, via the eight-run rule. Singles from Ahrendt (run), Remund (3RBI) and Wiese (RBI), and Pals walk, coupled with two defensive errors, allowed Pipestone to cruise into the semis. Each player in the batting order either had a hit or scored in the contest and Wiese (2), Taubert (2), Kyla Hubbling and Baartman had stolen bases.

 

Venom               010 000 – 1 3 2

Pipestone         002 106 – 9 8 0

 

Pipestone 5, Mankato Peppers (Orange) 1

Reinert threw another gem against the Peppers (Orange) in Pipestone’s final tilt on Saturday to give the side the top seed in the Gold Bracket out of its pool. The crafty right-hander gave up one run on two hits, while fanning seven and walking two over five innings and finished 1-for-2 at the plate with an RBI.

Pipestone scored all it needed in the bottom of the second inning on two hits, two errors and some smart base running. 

Pipestone’s initial run came on the bags, as Remund (single) dashed all the way to third on a series of throwing errors and claimed the plate in similar fashion on a failed check of Wiese on a fielder’s choice. The latter also scored in the frame off of Manderscheid’s comeback drive off the leg of the pitcher. The Pipestone centerfielder scored moments later on an error by the Peppers’ hurler, while Taubert – who reached on said error – cashed in on Reinert’s RBI single to left to give the home side a 5-0 lead.

The Peppers managed to scratch out a marker in the top of the fourth, but time ran out for them following a fifth frame that saw Reinert strike out a pair.

Manderscheid, Reinert (RBI), Kyla Hubbling (SB) and Remund (RBI) had Pipestone’s hits, while Wiese knocked in a run and stole a base. 

Peppers (Org.) 000 10 – 1 2 3

Pipestone 050 0X – 5 4 0

 

Pipestone 7, Cherry 4

Pipestone plated seven runs on seven hits and took advantage of two defensive errors by the Cherry club to win its second on bounce Saturday morning.

Kyla Hubbling got the nod in the circle and gave up four earned runs on eight hits; she struck out four and walked one over four innings. Reinert (1K) picked up the save in an inning of work after Pipestone bombarded Cherry over the fourth and fifth innings.

Pipestone opened the scoring in the top of the first inning, as Manderscheid (error) quickly stole a base, raced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Taubert and cruised home on Cherry’s second infield miscue of the inning. Reinert (bunt) sacrificed Manderscheid (single) across the plate in the top of the third and Kyla Hubbling drove in twin sister Kayla Hubbling moments later to give Pipestone a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the frame. 

There, Cherry came storming back with all of its runs in the tilt – scoring four on five hits to claim a 4-3 lead.

No matter, as Pipestone regained the lead in the top of the fourth on an error and hits from Wiese, Baartman and Manderscheid (RBI double). Pipestone went on to pad its 5-4 advantage by a pair in the top of the fifth, as Remund doubled in Pals (HBP) and Wiese drove in the Pipestone third baseman with a shot to right field. 

Reinert closed out the game, recording a 1-3 putout, a strikeout and coaxing a batter into a harmless fly out.

 

Pipestone           102 22 – 7 7 1

Cherry                 004 00 – 4 9 3

 

Pipestone 3, MN Stars 1

Manderscheid opened Pipestone’s tournament with an infield single and a stolen base against a sleepy Stars side at 8 a.m. Saturday morning. The speedy centerfielder would move to third base on a Taubert sacrifice bunt and claim the plate moments later on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Kayla Hubbling.

Behind sharp pitching from Reinert (1ER, 5H, 7K, 2W) and errorless fielding on the dirt and in the outfield, Pipestone tallied the winning run and an insurance marker in the top of the second frame.

Pals claimed first base on a dropped third strike to give Pipestone a runner, and Remund followed with a single to left. Wiese knocked in the former on a fielder’s choice and the latter also claimed the plate on a wild rundown that saw Wiese move within 60 feet of the plate.

Despite stellar defensive plays by Baartman and Kayla Hubbling, the Stars managed to scratch out a marker in the bottom of the fifth. However, the quick glove of Remund, coupled with back-to-back strikeouts by Reinert in the bottom of the sixth ended any notion of a Stars comeback.

“It was a terrific weekend for us; we started off a little slow in one or two games, but we played a lot more than we had the previous two weekends,” Coach Skyberg said. “They got a little tired, and it showed, in the championship game, but we were more aggressive at the plate and on the bases early this time around. When we played a little small-ball, they handled it pretty well. I’m excited to see what we can do the rest of the summer.”

Pipestone will participate in the Ringneck Invitational Tournament Friday-Sunday at Sherman Park in Sioux Falls. Pipestone opens the tournament against the Nebraska Swingers at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Pipestone         120 000 – 3 4 0

MN Stars          000 010 – 1 5 1

The Pipestone 18-U softball team poses for a photo following its runner-up finish at the Rising Stars Tournament Saturday-Sunday in North Mankato. Team members are (back, l-r) Coach Shelby Bloemendaal, Nicole Pals, Kyla Hubbling, Kayla Hubbling, Isabel Baartman, Paige Ahrendt, Coach James Skyberg, (front, l-r) Melody Remund, Jessa Reinert, Madelyn Wiese, MacKenzie Manderscheid and Marli Taubert. K. Kyle