Maple Lake, Kasson-Mantorville ride wave to Class 2A softball state title game

They're cocky, they know it and they won't apologize.

After beating Le Sueur-Henderson 4-2 in the Class 2A quarterfinals and New Ulm 6-2 in the semifinals, Maple Lake's in-your-face style is paying dividends.

"We like cocky," coach Tim Knudsen said. "We coach cocky."

The Irish earn their confidence through hard work and preparation. They traveled to California before the season and took a few beatings in hopes of preparing for the season. The first week is called Hell Week, crammed full with conditioning drills, situational drills and, well, contact drills.

"We have this one where we run the bases hard and run into each other," said pitcher Kennedy Haney. "We try to knock the ball out of each other's gloves, playing hard. We call ourselves 'The Sisterhood.' "

There was no question Maple Lake (26-2) was comfortable in Thursday's high-stress environment. It defeated one of the state's best pitchers in Carlie Brandt, a Gophers recruit, in the first game and jumped all over New Ulm in the second, taking the lead for good with a four-run third inning.

New Ulm tried to mount a rally in the sixth, loading the bases with one out, but Haney slammed the door to preserve the victory.

The Irish will face defending champion Kasson-Mantorville and its exceptional pitcher, Maddie Damon, in the championship game. Damon, a Purdue recruit, pitched a no-hitter in the KoMet's 3-0 victory over Milaca in the quarterfinals and had another no-hitter broken up in the seventh inning in a 4-0 victory over Hermantown. In all, Damon pitched a streak of 13 ⅓ hitless innings.

The New Life Academy duo of pitcher Valerie Hohol and catcher Malorie Giere have been together for four years. They'll get one more chance to finish their careers in style Friday in the Class 1A finals.

"We've been together so long, we're like sisters," Hohol said. "There have been ups and downs, but in the end, we trust each other so much."

The Eagles beat Hayfield 7-2 in the quarterfinals and Mankato Loyola 4-2 in the semifinals. They will play in the Class 1A championship game Friday, hoping to finally win a state title. They lost to Blooming Prairie in 2013 and New Ulm Cathedral last year. Giere, who will play at Division I Lipscomb University in Nashville next year, thinks she knows what has hurt the Eagles in the previous finals.

"We've had great games on the first day, but for some reason we come out and flatline in the championship," she said. "The difference this year has been our practices. We're working on game situations more. We're not going to let it happen again."