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Minster's Alayna Prenger swings against Lincolnview at Four Seasons Park on Thursday.
MINSTER - Down two runs heading into the bottom of the seventh, Minster coach Robb Hemmelgarn told his team to seize the moment.
"We talk every game day about hero moments," he said. "I said, 'Think about your hero moments.' I told the girls, 'Everybody here, the first five batters, have the opportunity to create a hero moment.' And every one of them delivered."
The Wildcats put together a three-run rally for a 4-3 walkoff win over Division IV state runner-up Lincolnview in a softball game at Four Seasons Park on Thursday.
The Lancers gave them an assist to start, as Reece Albers hit a high pop-up in front of the plate that Lincolnview catcher Grace Brickner misjudged and Albers reached safely as the ball fell in. Lyndi Hemmelgarn hit a high fly ball to centerfielder MaKayla Jackman near the wall for the first out, but Rylin Trego hit a single through the left side and Mikaela Hoskins followed with a sinking line drive that bounced past second baseman Allie Miller to load the bases.
But pitcher Sydney Fackler had already stranded seven runners through the first six innings, including four in scoring position.
"She's a great pitcher," coach Hemmelgarn said, noting that Fackler was the Lancers' No. 2 pitcher last year. "But I think the girls just started digging a little deeper at the plate, being a little more selective."
Catcher Hannah Oldiges hit a double-play ball to shortstop Lainey Spear but beat the throw to first, scoring Reece Albers and leaving runners on the corners with two outs. Emma Linn sliced two foul balls down the left field line before slamming a double halfway up the wall, scoring Trego and putting Oldiges at third.
Coach Hemmelgarn sent in Addi Inskeep to run for Oldiges, and Kaycie Albers fouled off three two-strike pitches before hitting a drive over left fielder Addysen Stevens' head as Inskeep darted home with the winning run.
Minster's Kaycie Albers watches the ball as she starts to run to first against Lincolnview at Four Seasons Park on Thursday. Albers hit a walkoff single to complete a three-run rally by the Wildcats in the bottom of the seventh.
"It's early in the season for both teams," coach Hemmelgarn said. "It's not going to mean anything down the line. But it's good for our girls, early in the season, to get such a confidence-booster."
Minster (3-0) took the lead in the bottom of the first, as Hemmelgarn scored on a comical series of errors: her line drive to third was dropped, the throw to first popped out of Ashlyn Price's glove, a throw to third sailed into left field, and though the throw to home beat Hemmelgarn, Brickner was called for obstruction to allow the run to score.
But the Wildcats couldn't add on, and Lincolnview (0-2) brought plenty of pressure on Wildcats starter Brooklyn Osterloh.Osterloh stranded four runners in the first two innings before Jackman led off the third with a homer to tie the game. The Lancers took the lead in the fifth on an RBI single by Sylvia Longstreth before Osterloh got a pop-up and a flyout to strand runners at second and third.
Spear added on insurance in the sixth with another solo homer, this one a high fly ball to straightaway center.
"Those were high pitches," coach Hemmelgarn said of the homers. "They got their bats on it, two good hitters. They hit the ball throughout the lineup. I don't know if those were mistakes on Brooklyn's part - we were trying to keep it high in the zone, and they went with it and connected.
"We bent, but we didn't get flustered. That was a big thing. We got down, but we didn't get flustered. We're a young team, but we've got experience. I'm proud of them."
Osterloh gave way to Hoskins for the seventh, and Hoskins pitched a clean inning to keep the deficit at two.
The Wildcats' defense also did its part. Hemmelgarn made a sliding stop on a ground ball to get an out at second in the second inning, Kaycie Albers got to a bunt quickly enough to get an out at third in the sixth, and Oldiges threw out two runners in the third, including a strikeout-throwout double play to end the inning.
"It was a big last inning, but our two caught stealings, with the strikeout-throwout, that kept them off the bases too," coach Hemmelgarn said. "But they're a good team, they're going to recover. We're just going to keep going, one day at a time."
Linn and Osterloh had two hits apiece.
Minster travels to Anna today, weather permitting.
