The Jackson County Central softball team opened the season with a state-ranked doubleheader sweep on the road Friday against New Ulm Cathedral.
Hadley Wachal tossed 15 strikeouts to help the Huskies hold off the Greyhounds 5-3 in the first game. She also allowed just one earned run on three hits and walked four batters.
Kinley VanDeVere doubled and later scored on a sacrifice hit by Bailey Finck to make it 1-0 JCC in the top of the first. Neither team scored again until the sixth. Mady Wachal scored on an error, Brielle Tufvesson brought home Braelyn Boogerd with an RBI double, and Miley VanDeVere plated Tufvesson with an RBI single to grow the lead to 4-0 JCC in the top frame. NUC took advantage of miscues by the Huskies to shrink the deficit to 4-3 in the home half. Cora Pauling, who had a pair of hits herself, scored on a Mady Wachal sac bunt in the top of the seventh to help close the door.
The Huskies outpaced the Greyhounds 12-2 in six innings in the second game.
JCC started with five runs in the bottom of the third. NUC got a pair back in the top of the fourth. The Huskies added one more in the fourth and fifth before clinching the game by run rule with five in the sixth.
Mady Wachal went the distance with nine strikeouts. She also smacked a home run along with a single and drew a pair of walks.
Pauling had five total hits on the day with three more hits in the nightcap. That featured a two-run double in the third.
Bailey Finck had a single and a trio of walks. Hadley Wachal had a pair of walks as well. Jess Dvorak walked and was hit by a pitch.
Both of the Wachals, Finck, and Dvorak each scored twice in the second game.
The 2-0 Huskies have a visit to state-ranked Edgerton/SW MN Christian scheduled for Tuesday.
HUSKIES DEALT FIRST LOSS BY MAPLE RIVER
The Jackson County Central baseball team endured the first loss of the season against Maple River on Friday night.
The Huskies lost to the Eagles 7-0 on the road.
Isaac Hesebeck and Carson Kolander each hit a double. Ben Gallagher and Carson Doescher each had a single. Haiden Warmka stole a base.
Levi Thompson allowed five runs with two of them earned in two innings. Josh Thompson surrendered a pair of earned runs in two innings. Gallagher and Kash Gilbert combined to pitch a scoreless inning. Doescher pitched a scoreless sixth as well.