NORTH MANKATO – Last season, Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial softball lost its first game of the Class AA tournament, and even though the Knights got to play three games, they finished sixth.

This season, the Knights are guaranteed of a better finish.

“It’s obviously big to win,” senior pitcher Nettie Parsons said. “Now, we know we’re at least in the top four. It’s a good step forward.”

Top-seeded LCWM had several good signs Tuesday in a 9-0 victory over Esko In the opening game of the state tournament Tuesday at Caswell Park. Parsons pitched her third no-hitter of the season, Kylee Hall and Megan Stickler both hit long home runs, and there were no errors

on the few balls that Esko put in play.

Parsons struck out 14, including nine of the last 11 batters, and walked only one. The Knight scored at least one run in each of the last five at-bats.

“We always go out there and try to play loose and have fun,” she said. “It’s the state tournament, so there were some nerves, but if we play like we can, we’ll be OK.”

The offense got a jolt when Hall led off the second inning with a blast over the left-field fence. Grace Thorson nearly made it back-to-back homers, but her liner hit the fence in right-center for a double. Two runs scored when Addison Voges’ suicide squeeze and a throwing error, and Nettie Parsons added an RBI single to make it 4-0.

“We’ve had some games lately where we’ve started slowly, and everyone gets nerves,” LCWM coach Tony Parsons said. “Getting off to a fast start made everyone feel OK.”

Sickler added to the lead with a sacrifice fly in the third, and Sydney Kramer had a two-run single in the fourth. Sickler homered in the fifth, and Piper Hellekson made it 9-0 with an RBI single in the sixth.

“These girls really don’t change,” coach Parsons said. “They could be 10 for 10 or 0 for 10; they stay steady. And if someone goes 0 for 2, they know there’s eight other girls in the lineup that can pick them up.”

The Knights, playing in their third straight state tournament, take on St. Cloud Cathedral in the Class AA semifinals at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Caswell Park. Cathedral defeated Rockford 6-3 in the quarterfinals Tuesday.

LCWM defeated Cathedral 13-4 on May 2 at Caswell Park.

“The girls have the goal of playing three games (at the state tournament) so we have achieved Goal 1 and we can move on to Goal 2,” coach Parsons said.

Goal 2?

“We want to be playing Friday (in the state championship game),” he said.