A Drop of Redemption for Winhawk Softball, but the Job’s Not Finished, Winona vs. Mankato East in State Semifinal

Kreckow Pitches to Simley in Bottom of 7th in State Quarterfinal

(KWMN)- In an overcast, off and on raining affair, the Winhawk Softball team exercised their first-round demons from last season to top Simley in the opening round of the state tournament, 6-1.

Not that it was all her, but the box score will show that senior, Mackenzie Simmons, did the bulk of work in the win. Simmons drilled two, three-run shots, first in the first inning, then again in the third, to give Winona all of their six runs.

She had only homered once in the regular season. Since the postseason started in the section tournament, and counting yesterday at the state tournament, she has three.

“I just knew I wanted to give it my all, you know senior year, knowing that we were here and even sometimes people didn’t think we’d make it to state so I just knew that we have to give everything in this game. This game is the one that matters right now, and then we’ll focus on the other ones,” Simmons said after the win.

I jokingly asked her if she ate her Wheaties that morning,

“I did not but I did have a strawberry smoothie from Panera, and I think that was the fuel.”

Frequently in the game of softball, and baseball, it comes down to timely hitting. Not only in the middle of the game but finding the right stride at the plate during the most important time of the season. For head coach, Mitch Grossell, he thinks Simmons is a microcosm of that,

“I’ll tell you what, she’s been swinging a really hot bat over the last few weeks…She’s found her Rythm. It really falls with your timing a lot, she back right where we need her to be,” he said.

Grossell went on to say that Simmons is a pleasure to coach. Referencing her coachability, her desire to help her teammates, and how joyful it was to watch her run around the bases with a smile on her face after the homers.

For Winona, this win gives them a taste of redemption. Last season in the opening round of the tournament, Winona left opportunity after opportunity out on the table, as they saw runs evading them late into a battle with Delano. As we know, they lost that game last season, this time around, it was a different story, with the runs coming early.

“That was fantastic, anytime you can jump ahead is great,” Grossell said, while referencing the great Earl Weaver, former Baltimore Orioles manager saying three-run-homers is how you get wins–at least when you’re the one hitting them.

Lauren Kreckow, Winona’s number one pitcher, was her usual self, according to Grossell. Kreckow, who reached 188 strikeouts on the year before yesterday’s opening round game, finished the game with nine more to her name, and was dominant when her offense gave her the lead. “She’s been that way all season, she just kept hitting spots…She did exactly what we wanted her too,” Grossell said of her performance in the circle.

Undoubtedly for Winona, the job isn’t finished, and they’ll face a familiar foe and the defending champion in Mankato East in the state semifinal.

“I told them they have 60 minutes to enjoy this one, then start focusing on Mankato East…I’m sure it’ll be another good game tomorrow [against Kato],” Grossell said, knowing that most, if not all games vs. Mankato East over the last few seasons have been close.

In the first matchup between these two teams in the regular season, Winona got the best of East, 4-3. It was a game where Winona led first, then East tied it up in the seventh. That time around it was the Winhawks finding the run late, with East going home empty.

This time around, who knows what’ll happen, because anything can–especially in the state semifinal.

Winona vs. Kato East is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. today from Caswell Park. Be sure to download the Winona Radio App for notifications of scores and inning updates, while also following along here at winonaradio.com for more in-depth updates.