Ed-Co pushes No. 1 Martensdale-St. Marys to the limit at state softball tournament before bowing, 2-1

FORT DODGE — They belonged here. Darn right, they did.

“That’s what I told them after the game,” an upbeat Edgewood-Colesburg Coach Taylor Huber said after the 12th-ranked Vikings pushed No. 1 Martensdale-St. Marys — hard — before bowing 2-1 in a Class 1A quarterfinal at the state softball tournament Tuesday afternoon at the Rogers Sports Complex.

“We proved we belonged here. We gave ourselves a chance, and that’s all you can ask for. If we had nerves, we didn’t show it.”

MSM pitcher Campbell German surrendered three hits — all to Claire Aulwes — and struck out 12 while walking one.

The Blue Devils (29-6) advance to face No. 4 Fort Dodge St. Edmond (26-5) in the semifinal round at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Like Huber, Aulwes and Ed-Co pitcher Rachel Eglseder spoke postgame with their heads up.

“We definitely knew that we had to come out and play our best game, with as few errors as possible,” said Eglseder, who kept the Vikings (29-11) in the game with a five-hitter. “If I could make them put the ball in play, people would make plays behind me.”

For the most part, the Vikings did so. MSM did manage an unearned run in the fourth inning and another in the fifth.

“Some of the girls were upset afterward, but there’s no reason to hang our heads,” Aulwes said. “We played amazing defense. I’m so proud of how we played.”

At 12:45 Wednesday afternoon, Ed-Co will conclude its first state appearance since 2003. The Vikings will face No. 5 Collins-Maxwell (27-4).

An error played prominently in Martensdale-St. Marys’ fourth-inning tally, and a passed ball had a role in the fifth-inning run. Sydney Bears and Brynnley German rapped RBI singles.

Kaitlyn Hahn opened Ed-Co’s sixth-inning bid, walking with one out. Audrie Helmrichs reached an on error, then Aulwes knocked home Hahn.

The Vikings stranded runners at second and third, and that turned out to be their last chance. German struck out the side in the seventh on 10 pitches.

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Photos: Ed-Co vs. Martensdale-St. Marys in Class 1A state softball quarterfinals

Aulwes had infield singles in the second and fourth, then laced the RBI hit in the sixth.

“A lot of the girls were late (against German), so I used that to prepare myself,” Aulwes said. “She supplied the power; I just wanted to get my bat on the ball.”

Martensdale-St. Marys 2, Edgewood-Colesburg 1

Class 1A State Quarterfinal, at Fort Dodge

Edgewood-Colesburg 000 001 0 -- 1 3 1

Martensdale-St. Marys 000 110 x -- 2 5 1

Rachel Eglseder and Audrie Helmrichs. Campbell German and Sydney Bears. W -- Campbell (16-5). L -- Eglseder (18-6).

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com