Huskies Softball Lands No. 3 Seed, Opens Playoffs at Morehouse

A strong finish to the season has landed the Owatonna High School fastpitch softball team the No. 3 seed in the Section 1-AAAA tournament and a home game at Morehouse Park Tuesday, May 24 at 5 pm against Rochester Mayo. Radio coverage will be heard on Kat Kountry 105 FM.

The Huskies went 6-2 over the final eight games, including a victory over No. 5-AAA Mankato East and a 7-4 at Bloomington Jefferson. OHS opened the season on a six-game winning streak that included a 29-inning scoreless string for their opponents. Owatonna enters the double-elimination playoffs at 12-8. The Huskies and Spartans split a doubleheader on May 3 in Rochester.

No. 7 Rochester Century goes to No. 2 Lakeville South in the first round. The Huskies/Spartans winner/loser will play the Panthers/Panthers winner/loser in the second round. Top-seed Farmington hosts No. 8 seed Rochester John Marshall Tuesday. No. 5 Lakeville North plays at No. 4 Northfield.

After Tuesday all section games are at Todd Park in Austin. Dates include Thursday, May 26, Tuesday, May 31, and Thursday, June 2. See the full bracket here.

Owatonna has five players hitting better than .300. Eight players have 10 or more RBI. Fiver players have at least one home run for a team total of ten.

OHS coach Jeremy Moran commented recently on the Huskies' high-scoring offense that's averaging over eight runs per game. "That's the thing we work on. We don't want to hit too many ground balls. We want to hit line drives more. That's kind of the focus. Up the middle, to the gaps is our philosophy. And they do a good job with that, and really be selective with the pitches they're hitting."

"We talk to them about taking a pitch to drive. If it's something early in the count that they can't hit hard, then we want them to lay off it. And then wait for that one they can drive more, especially when they're up in the count," said Moran.

He also said the team has gotten better in two-strike situations and is fouling off the ball more frequently.

The Huskies have played solid defense for most of the season and frequently get a web-gem or two per game. Sophomore Kennedy Hodgman and Parris Hovden have handled the pitching duties.