NORTH MANKATO — New Ulm’s execution of the short game Saturday at Caswell Park propelled the No. 4-ranked Eagles to a 7-3 win over two-time defending state champion and No. 1-ranked Mankato East in the winner’s bracket of the Section 2AAA softball tournament.

New Ulm (19-3) tallied four runs in the top of the third off Cougars’ ace Kylinn Stangl before expanding the margin to 7-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth. East (17-4) scored a run when eighth-grade right fielder Kenley Staunton singled, advanced to third base on senior center fielder Maddy Beaty’s double into the right-field corner and scored on a fielder’s choice. However, the Cougars left the bases juiced, just as they did in a two-run sixth.

“We had a good first two innings with our defense and everything but it went downhill from there,” Stangl, who allowed eight hits while striking out seven, said. “We didn’t field their bunts like we’re supposed to and I didn’t pitch the ball as well as I could have. They were making contact and we weren’t ready to answer with our bats until later in the game.

“It was too late for us to come back. They’re a very good team and their pitcher (Ramsey Hopp) is great. They have a solid lineup with a lot of gritty kids. We just got outplayed today and now we’re going to bring it on Tuesday. Nobody is going to outplay us the rest of the way. We’re going to keep battling because we have so much fight in us that we’re going to come in here hot.”

Sophomore catcher Gracie Baker ripped a lead-off double into the right-center field gap to ignite the Eagles’ third-inning surge. Senior center fielder Madeline Backer followed with a bunt single before two more bunts, a throwing error and senior right fielder Mya Hornick’s RBI single capped things. Backer and senior third baseman Berkley Wilfahrt led the Eagles with two hits each.

“We had some chances to push that first run across and then we stranded 12 runners in six innings,” East coach Joe Madson said. “We just didn’t come up with the big hit and they bunted the ball and ran the bases well. They also had some big hits to start innings and to bring people in. We left the bases loaded three straight innings and you can’t do that.

“New Ulm is a very good team and now the only focus we have is that we have to beat St. Peter on Tuesday. We need to survive, move on and see what happens. This team can certainly handle the situation we’re in and while it’s harder, it’s also sweeter if you can do it. … We just need to get a little better at moving the ball and not taking so many third strikes.”

Winning pitcher Ramsey Hopp’s two-run single in the fourth made it a 6-0 game before a Cougars’ error an inning later produced another run. Hopp gave up eight hits while striking out nine and walking seven. Staunton and Beaty banged out two hits each for the Cougars, while Emily Hacker, Jayda Swalve, Ella Hudspeth and Harper Stangl each chipped in one.

“We didn’t have everything today but it was enough,” New Ulm coach Kristi Andersen Loose said. “They really picked each other up and when they needed to execute they did. We were able to put the ball in play and good things happened. East is a solid team that has been a powerhouse. They’re going to come at you from the first at-bat of the game until the last. … Every pitch matters to them.”

Hacker and Swalve delivered RBI singles in the sixth before Hopp worked a 1-2-3 final frame.

“We were well prepared for this game so we just had to come out and play our game,” Hopp said. “We were able to put the ball in play and forced them to make plays. There’s always room for improvement but I felt I pitched an OK game. There’s no break in their lineup one through nine, they’re going to make you work for it.”

West falls to St. Peter

The second-seeded Mankato West softball team fell to St. Peter 7-6 in an elimination game in the Section 2AAA tournament Saturday morning at Caswell.

Lilly Considine and Lydia Banse each had three hits and an RBI in the loss for the Scarlets. Banse finishes the season without a strikeout.

Maleah Grunst had a homer and two RBIs for West, while pitcher Evelyn Erickson allowed no earned runs in the loss.

The Scarlets finish the season at 16-7.