Kasson-Mantorville senior pitcher Maddie Damon was locked in Thursday in a 3-0 no-hit win over Milaca and a 4-0 one-hit gem against Hermantown in the semifinals.

Damon struck out 14 Wolves in the first game and fanned 13 Hawks in the nightcap. Hermantown clubbed 14 hits in their opening 8-1 win over Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton, including three homers. The only hit they got came in the seventh inning with one out when their No. 3 hitter cashed in on a swinging bunt. Damon allowed just two base runners in the first game (walk, error) and two in the second contest (walk, swinging bunt). In the first game, the KoMets totaled 89 pitches, 62 for strikes, and had 16 first-pitch strikes against the 23 batters Damon faced. In the semis, Damon tossed 93 pitches, 70 for strikes, and tallied 19 first-pitch strikes against 23 batters.

Damon clubbed a solo shot on the first pitch thrown by Hermantown's sophomore pitcher Breaana Thomas in the first inning. K-M loaded the bases but didn't score. In the second after two outs, Damon had a single to right, Dana Rasmussen smacked a single on the ninth pitch of her at-bat and sophomore Mikayla Grant smacked a two-run triple followed by a McKenzie Hemann RBI single. The Hawks sophomore then settled in, not allowing another base runner the rest of the game.

In the first game, Kasson-Mantorville plated all their runs in the fourth inning on four hits. Grant led the inning off with a single and came home on a no-doubt homer by Hemann. Following a strikeout, Kendra Powers had a bunt single and was then sacrificed to second by Addie Murry. Stephanie Meyer laid down a bunt and was safe and the throw went wide of the bag, scoring Powers, and it was all the offense they would need.

The KoMets (25-2) had seven hits in the first game and six in the second. The defending state champions are playing for the third consecutive year in the championship game. Two years ago they lost 1-0 to New Ulm in a classic game. Last season they defeated Le Sueur-Henderson 3-0, and tomorrow they play Maple Lake (26-2). The Irish had 11 victories with the game ending early on the 10-run rule. Their only two losses were to Rockford (7-6 and 10-9) and they avenged those by sweeping them for the section title (7-3 and 7-2).

In case you are wondering, 13 pitchers in Minnesota softball state tournament history have allowed no runs in the tournament. Damon didn't allow an earned run last year and became the 32nd pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the tournament. The fewest hits allowed for three games in the tournament is one, by Danielle Schmidt of New Life Academy of Woodbury in 2008.

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