Byron softball’s season ends, K-M and Chatfield advances to section title games

(ABC 6 News) — Austin was host to yet again a bevy of section softball on Thursday.

The afternoon saw a crucial 1AAA matchup between the second-seeded Byron Bears and the number one Winona Winhawks. Going into the fifth inning, the Bears held a slim 2-1 until Winona’s Macy McNally went to bat against Byron’s Macy Borowski. She decides to bunt, getting it just right to get to first in time. McNally only got bolder afterward, stealing second and third.

Trouble then reared its head for the Bears after Borowski threw a wild pitch, allowing McNally to come home and tie the game. Winona would eventually win it in the seventh inning, 3-2, sending Byron to the elimination round.

And in that elimination round, the Bears faced their crosstown rival, the third-see Kasson Mantorville KoMets. Fresh off ending the season of fourth-seed Red Wing, the KoMets were looking forward to ending another. K-M starting pitcher Liberty Maxson aimed to put on a clinic and showed off great reaction during a pop-up. Facing Byron’s pitcher, Maddie Cocker, Maxson lunged in time to get a highlight-worthy out.

It would prove to be a precedent for the whole game, as Kasson-Mantorville silenced Byron behind four runs, 4-0. With their rivals out of the way for good, the KoMets will look to pull off their biggest win to date in the Section 1AAA Softball Championship on Thursday.

Meanwhile, in the Section 1AA Bracket, number two Chatfield and number one Zumbrota-Mazeppa both were playing for their respective seasons. Chatfield fell to fellow second-seed Cannon Falls prior while Z-M eliminated another one-seed in St. Charles. Down 1-0 early, the Cougars tried to get on board thanks to Lola Wagner laying down a sacrifice bunt to advance Melanie Raasch. Later on, Kailey Cooper’s attempt at a bat hit was stopped in its track after a heads-up catch on Chatfield’s part.

Clair Springer would knock in an RBI to make the score 2-0 in favor of the Gophers, as the Cougars wouldn’t get a single run in. Chatfield eliminated Z-M by a final score of 6-0 and will take another crack at Cannon Falls on Thursday for the Section 1AA Softball Championship.