The Faribault Falcon Fastpitch team defeated Owatonna 5-0 at Manthey Park in Owatonna on Tuesday night to run their record to 19-0 on the season.

The Falcons left eight runners on base, seven in scoring position, while sophomore McKayla Armbruster tossed a four hitter. Armbruster threw 97 pitches, 70 for strikes, fanned seven and walked one batter.

The Huskies had a chance to get on the board first in the bottom of the first with runners at second and third and just one out when Armbruster struck out the fourth and fifth batters to end the inning.

Faribault scored two runs in the second when junior Cassie Swanson collected a one-out single, sophomore Ellie Knutson had a double and sophomore Abby Van Ryn added a two RBI double.

The Falcons added two more runs in the third inning with Alison Schak leading off the inning with a walk, Armbruster laid down a bunt and Schak went to second.

Junior designated player Claire Drentlaw smacked am RBI double. That was followed by back-to-back walks of juniors Bre Bresnahan and Swanson to load the bases.

After a second out was recorded, Van Ryn hit a hard smash that the third baseman knocked down to allow just one run to score, keeping the ball on the infield. If that ball had gotten by her, at least one more run would have scored.

Faribault scored their fifth run in the top of the seventh when Armbruster led off the inning with a single and was sacrificed to second by Drentlaw.

During the next at-bat, Armbruster took off and made it to third when a pitch hit the dirt. Swanson hit the ball to short and Armbruster scored on an error. Knutson clubbed her second double, placing runners at second and third, but the inning ended on a infield pop out to short.

The Huskies who collected hits in the game were junior Tiana Blazek in the first inning and the sixth, junior Jenna Von Ruden in the third and junior Jamie Davison in the seventh.

Junior Alexa Sommers pitched effectively for Owatonna while throwing 106 pitches, 63 for strikes. She struck out three and walked three while scattering 10 hits.

Line totals were:

Faribault: 5 runs, 10 hits, 1 error, 8 runners left on base, 7 in scoring position

Owatonna: 0 runs, 4 hits, 1 error, 6 runners left on base, 5 in scoring position

Our Faribault State Farm Insurance agents Faribault players of the game courtesy of Tony Langerud and Jason Krohn were Armbruster, Knutson and Van Ryn.

The three Owatonna seniors, Erin Steffenson, Ellie Rohman and Braelyn Johnson, were honored before the game by teammates reading their memories of them and what they will miss when they graduate.

Owatonna travels to Northfield for a doubleheader Thursday to end their regular season and Faribault hosts Mankato West in what will surely be a contest between the top two ranked teams in the state.

Mankato West rolled over Northfield 14-4 Tuesday night.

Last week Mankato West was rated No. 1 and Faribault No. 2, and those roles could be flipped for Friday's showdown because the Falcons defeated Mankato West in the championship of the Section 2 Class 3A preview tournament held last Friday in Mankato.

Thursday's game is not only for the Big Nine Conference championship but will more than likely determine the top seed in the section tournament, which starts next week at the high seeds.

The Falcon game will be on Power 96 Radio 95.9FM Thursday and www.power96radio.com. People can also download the free RadioPup app and listen on their favorite mobile device.

In other Big Nine softball Tuesday night:

Northfield 5, Mankato East 4
John Marshall 10, Austin 0
Winona 11, Red Wing 0
Rochester Mayo 5, Rochester Century 2
Albert Lea 6, Stewartville 4

In the baseball game Tuesday night at Bell Field, Owatonna came out on top 7-4.

Faribault took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first after back-to-back walks to start the inning; junior Jake Lowagie sacrificed the pair into scoring position.

Junior Dylan Vargo hit a grounder to second, scoring junior Dylan O'neil and designated hitter senior Jake Franck cracked a single to make it 2-1 Falcons.

Owatonna scored three runs in the top of the second to take a 4-2 lead and Faribault added a run in the second to make it 4-3.

The Falcons scored with two outs when Dylan O'neil stole second to get into scoring position after walking and was brought home on an RBI single by senior Payton Miller.

The score stayed 4-3 with Owatonna in front until the sixth inning when the Huskies added a run.

In the bottom of the sixth, Faribault kept pace when Vargo led the inning by reaching on an error. Franck walked and Cain Van Ryn went to first base to run. The two base runners advanced on a ground out by Colton Helgeson for the first out.

Vargo scored on a ground out by Adam Vos to make it 5-4.

Owatonna added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, senior Omar Escobar led off the inning with a bunt single. He advanced to second on a passed ball. Following a strikeout, Escobar advanced to third during a ground out .

Louwagie was the tying run at the plate but was retired on a ground out and the Huskies picked up the Big Nine Conference win.

Senior Graham Gulsvig took the loss with three hits allowed and four runs, three earned  while walking one and striking out two in the first two innings.

Adam Vos pitched 3-1/3 innings and scattered four hits with one run scoring while walking three and striking out four Huskies. Dillon McEachran pitched the final 1-2/3 innings, allowing just one hit and two earned runs.

Senior Kodey Kiel notched the win for Owatonna while pitching 5-2/3 innings, scattering three hits, four runs -- three earned, walked seven and struck out five.

Senior Jacob Gauthier pitched the final 1-1/3 inning of no-hit ball and struck out two batters.

Owatonna had four doubles in the game, hit by four players.

Here are the line totals:

Owatonna: 7 runs, 8 hits, 1 error
Faribault: 5 runs, 4 hits, 2 errors

The Huskies have a doublheader with Northfield on Thursday to close out their conference season and entertain New Ulm in the regular season final Monday.

Faribault ends their season with a doubleheader at Mankato West on Thursday.

In other Big Nine Conference baseball Tuesday:

John Marshall 8, Austin 4
Austin 5, John Marshall 3
Rochester Century 3, Rochester Mayo 2
Red Wing 2, Winona 1
Mankato West 9, Albert Lea 6
Northfield 5, Mankato East 4

Rochester Century has a one-game lead over Red Wing and plays at Mayo Field on Friday in a doubleheader with Austin. The first game is the conference game.

Red Wing plays at Mayo Field in a doubleheader with Rochester Mayo on Thursday, with the first game counting in the conference standings.

 

Faribault Pitcher McKayla Armbruster Dealing to Owatonna Hitter- photo by Gordy Kosfeld
Faribault Pitcher McKayla Armbruster Dealing to Owatonna Hitter- photo by Gordy Kosfeld
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Owatonna Senior Softball Posters- photo by Gordy Kosfeld
Owatonna Senior Softball Posters- photo by Gordy Kosfeld
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