Cougars prevail in pitchers’ duel

By Shane Frederick
Free Press Staff Writer

NORTH MANKATO May 21, 2008 01:16 am

— Joe Madson didn’t get the offensive performance he was expecting Tuesday night at Caswell Park, but he got just enough to get by.
“Yesterday and today we took a lot of batting practice,” the Mankato East softball coach said after the Cougars’ 1-0 win over New Prague in the Section 2AAA tournament. “We looked like we were ready to come out of our shoes. I guess it shows how batting practice can be deceiving.”
Third-seeded East mustered just five hits off New Prague pitcher Jessica Hoffman, and it was the bottom of the order that finally came through.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, Hallie Enderle smacked a hard shot just past the second baseman. That brought up the No. 9 hitter, Kendra Baker. Baker, the Cougars’ first baseman, hit a high pop-up that found a resting spot in the grass between the center fielder, the right fielder and the second baseman. Enderle scored from first on the hit.
“I just wanted to get on for our No. 1 hitter (Karli DesLauriers),” Baker said.
And when she popped up?
“I thought the person was going to catch it,” she said. “That’s why I stalled. ... I didn’t hustle.”
East will face No. 2 seed Prior Lake at 7 p.m. Thursday at Caswell Park.


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