Kasson-Mantorville senior pitcher Maddie Damon can do it all on a softball diamond. The Komet tamed the Zumbrota-Mazeppa Cougars not once but twice Thursday night by scores of 2-0 and 1-0 to advance K-M to their third straight state tournament.

The defending state champions were defeated by the Cougars in the West Subsection title game but were clearly focused in sweeping Zumbrota-Mazeppa at Todd Park in Austin while capturing the Section 1 Class AA title.

Damon struck out 11 batters in the first game and tallied 10 strikeouts in the second, and also was the perfect lead-off table setter. Damon scored one of the two runs for the Komets in the first game and her courtesy runner scored the only run of the second game when Damon coaxed a two-out walk in the third inning. Damon was up six times total on the night and was on base all six times -- two hits in the first game and two hits in the second and a walk in each contest. Damon is heading to Purdue University on a softball scholarship and only walked one batter in the two games. She threw 93 pitches in the first and 100 in the second. Damon was 19 of 26 in first pitch strikes in the first shutout win and 13 of 26 in the second shutout.

The Cougars had their chances to score. In the first game, junior pitcher Morgan Olson led the game with a single and was stranded at third base. She also had a one-out double in the sixth. In the second contest, Olson led the game off with a triple and was thrown out at the plate on an attempt to score on a bunt. Rachel Nordquist led off the second with a double off the fence that just missed being a homer and sent the ball deep to left center in her second at bat. She would also be stranded at third base in the second.

Damon has a lethal change-up pitch she will throw anytime in the count, and she changes speeds on it so well. It can really make her fastball look a lot faster. Senior Cori Kennedy, out with a knee injury suffered at the state girls basketball tournament, is now calling the pitches from the dugout for freshman catcher Addison Murry, and more than once Damon came off the field pointing to her longtime battery mate for calling the right pitch in a certain situation.

The lefty Olson went the first four innings in the first game while throwing 51 pitches and just one run was earned. She collected three strike-outs and walked just one batter. In the second game, Olson had a hiccup inning in the third with three walks after the first two batters were retired in the inning. Sandwiched in between was an error and Damon's courtesy runner, sophomore Karlyn Buchanan, scored the only run of the game on a wild pitch.

Zumbrota-Mazeppa ended their season 20-4 and Kasson-Mantorville is now 23-2. In addition to the Subsection championship loss to Z-M, the Komets also lost to Mankato East.

K-M opens defense of their state title next Thursday at 1PM against Milaca, a team they defeated 10-0 during the regular season.

The Hayfield Vikings downed the Fillmore Central Falcons 4-0 to win the Section 1 Class A title Thursday night in Austin also. Hayfield will play top-ranked New Life Academy at 9AM in their state opener at Caswell Park in North Mankato.

Last season Kasson-Mantorville and Kenyon-Wanamingo represented the H-V-L at state.

K-M senior Maddie Damon warming up before the Z-M game
K-M senior Maddie Damon warming up before the Z-M game
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