A win, a save, 6 RBIs for Rachel Eglseder, and Ed-Co sweeps North Linn for the first time in 13 years

TROY MILLS — Rachel Eglseder is good to go, at a moment’s notice.

“I don’t really need to re-warm up,” the Edgewood-Colesburg pitcher said.

Ed-Co Coach Taylor Huber confirmed that.

“She gets her five warmup pitches, and she’s ready,” Huber said. “I asked if she needed (a pinchrunner, for time to get a few warmup pitches in), and she said, ‘No, I’m good.’”

A complete-game winner in Game 1, Eglseder came back and worked three shutout innings in relief to close down the nightcap, and Class 1A 11th-ranked Ed-Co swept No. 6 North Linn, 11-3 and 5-3, in a Tri-Rivers Conference doubleheader Thursday night at North Linn High School.

It marked the Vikings’ first twinbill sweep of the Lynx in 13 years.

“We’re playing for a conference title,” Huber said. “We lost one to Bellevue Marquette (on Monday), so we had to come back and earn both of these.”

Ed-Co (15-3 overall, 11-1 Tri-Rivers) moved into sole possession of first place in the West Division.

  Buy Photo

“We beat them twice last year,” Eglseder said, referring to a regular-season split and a regional-final victory that sent the Vikings to the state tournament. “Coming here, getting two (wins) ... our defense played well in both games.”

Plus, the Vikings rapped out 10 hits in the first game, 11 more in the second. Eglseder drove in three runs in both contests.

The first one had no indication of an Ed-Co runaway.

North Linn (13-5, 12-2) owned a 3-1 lead through four innings, but the Vikings cut loose for four runs in the fifth inning (McKenna Hoefer delivered a key two-run single) and six tallies in the sixth (two-run single from Eglseder, two-run double from Lauren Kirby) to invoke the eight-run rule.

Of those 10 late runs, eight were unearned.

Game 2 starter Chloe Everett blanked North Linn for the first three innings, but the Lynx struck for three unearned runs in the fourth to draw even, 3-3.

After chasing home Kaitlyn Hahn for the go-ahead run in the top of the fifth, then it was time for Eglseder to go nail down a save.

“That’s what happens sometimes in close games,” Eglseder said. “Chloe’s a good pitcher. She can last a long time. But (Huber) asked how I was feeling, and I said, ‘Let’s go.’”

Huber said, “They were getting to the third time through the lineup, and (all-state speedster Kenzie) Bridgewater was coming up.”

Eglseder allowed only one baserunner in the final three innings, and that was on an error.

Everett’s sacrifice fly gave Ed-Co an insurance run in the top of the seventh.

Edgewood-Colesburg 11-5, North Linn 3-3

At Troy Mills

GAME 1

Edgewood-Colesburg 100 046 — 11 10 1

North Linn 003 000 — 3 4 4

Rachel Eglseder and McKenna Hoefer. Aliyah Wegmann, Lily Rehberg (5), Chloe Flanahgan (6), Amelie Duffy (6) and Scout Krogmann. W — Eglseder (9-2). L — Wegmann (4-3).

GAME 2

Edgewood-Colesburg 101 110 1 — 5 11 2

North Linn 000 300 0 — 3 4 0

Chloe Everett, Rachel Eglseder (5) and McKenna Hoefer. Lily Rehberg, Aliyah Wegmann (5) and Scout Krogmann. W — Everett (6-1). L — Rehberg (5-1). SV — Eglseder (2).

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com