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Softball: No storybook finish for KMS Fighting Saints softball

joe brown, west central tribune, willmar, minn.
·5 min read

May 30—MARSHALL — The Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg softball team wasn't sending its coach into retirement without a fight.

The Fighting Saints put up four runs and had the game-tying run on first base after falling behind 9-4 in the top of the seventh inning to Wabasso in a Section 3A elimination game Tuesday at the Marshall Softball Complex.

But the Rabbits coaxed Elsa Gjerde into a pop fly for the final out, putting KMS away with a 9-8 victory, ending the head coaching career of one of the area's top coaches.

Suter was composed while delivering her post-game speech. As the team entered the dugout, she did away with her aviator sunglasses and the tears began to flow for Suter, the players and the assistant coaches.

"We made a good comeback," said Suter, who finishes her 32-year coaching career with a 532-182 record. "You wanna keep playing the game and that's going through your head."

Earlier in the day, the Fighting Saints lost 5-1 to Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian. That win sends the Flying Dutchmen into the section final against Wabasso at 5 p.m. Thursday back in Marshall.

Edgerton/SWC got a strong outing against KMS from senior Paris Van Dyke. At the plate, she went 2-for-2 with a two-run home run in the top of the first inning. That helped her cause in the circle. She got the complete-game victory after striking out seven with four hits and one walk allowed.

"(Van Dyke's) got some speed behind those pitches," Suter said. "She's very good."

Against Wabasso, KMS was looking for a repeat result from the weekend, a 13-12 win. The Fighting Saints hoped to avoid the nine errors they committed in that high-scoring game.

"We tightened it up a lot and the wind didn't help things that day," Suter said. "We did not play a clean game at all (on Saturday); today was a lot better."

Kya Oakes put the Fighting Saints on the board first with an RBI single. After a Rabbits error, KMS tacked on three more runs in the second to go up 4-0.

That cushion didn't last as Wabasso capitalized on some KMS gaffes, scoring four unearned runs combined in the second and third to tie the game at 4-4.

With Avery Carlson pitching effectively for the Rabbits, the Fighting Saints were held without a hit in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

Wabasso broke through in the fifth on a Sara Carlson RBI single. Then in the sixth, Kelsey Frank drove in a pair of runs and two more Rabbits runs came on wild pitches to make it 9-4.

"We had some miscues that probably would have changed the outcome," Suter said. "They had a couple, too. That's just ball."

Josie Gjerde, Avery Joyce, Abby Holtkamp and Emily Wagner all scored with two outs in the top of the seventh after an error in the outfield delayed the final out.

"I hope (Wabasso) gives Edgerton a run for their money," Suter said. "It'd be nice to see another team come through Section 3A instead of them all the time. But you can't knock (Edgerton/SWC); they're a very good team, too."

While she's retiring from her post at KMS, Suter isn't done with softball. She'll be coaching grade-school kids over the summer. There's farming to be done. And she's excited to watch her grandkids play sports.

After doing an interview one last time as the Fighting Saints' head coach, two of her grandkids ran onto the field and gave their grandma a hug.

"I'm still gonna be around," Suter said. "I'm still gonna help out. I'm just not going to be standing at third trying to get nailed by any more fly balls and line drives. I've gotten hit enough there."

KMS 130 000 4-8 7 3

Wabasso 013 014 x-9 12 2

Hitting — KMS: Shakira Olson 2-4 r-2, Josie Gjerde 0-1 r bb-3, Kya Oakes 1-4 rbi, Avery Joyce 0-2 r bb hbp, Katlyn Peters 1-3, Abby Holtkamp 0-4 r bb, Emily Wagner 1-1 r, Maddi Anderson 2-4 r ... Wabasso: Sophia Hanna 1-3 r, Kelsey Frank 1-4 r-2 rbi-2, Avery Carlson 2-3 2b r-2, Sara Carlson 2-4 r rbi, Annabelle Struntz 0-4 r, Addisyn Hillescheim 2-3, Lyla Kittelson 2-3 r, Callie Burns 2-3 r

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — KMS: Anderson (L) 6-12-9-5-1-3 ... Wabasso: A. Carlson (W) 6.2-7-8-1-5-3, Struntz (Sv) 0.1-0-0-0-0-0

KMS 000 100 0-1 4 2

Edgerton/SWC 202 000 x-5 6 2

Hitting — KMS: Josie Gjerde 1-3 r, Kya Oakes 1-2, Avery Joyce 1-3 rbi, Maddi Anderson 1-3 ... Edgerton/SWC: Ana Veldkamp 1-4 r sb, Paris Van Dyke 2-2 hr r rbi-2 bb, Alyda Vande Griend 1-3 r sb, Brenalyn Smit 0-3 r sb, Mateya Gilbertson 1-3 r, Kinsie Nelson 1-3

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — KMS: Taylor VanHeuveln (L) 3-6-4-4-1-0, Anderson 3-0-1-0-2-2 ... Edgerton/SWC: Van Dyke (W) 7-4-1-1-1-7