Softball team starts season with 2-0 win

Talk about it

Local softball fans won’t have to travel far to watch the state’s No. 1-ranked softball team in action this year.

That team is located at Hastings High School.

When the season’s first statewide rankings came out this week, Hastings took the top spot. Eagan is No. 2 and North St. Paul is No. 3.

“I went to the girls and told them,” Hastings coach Dean Robinson said. “We just have to keep our heads on straight. We can’t go around talking smack. We just have to play each game as they come along, and get better every single week.”

Thus far, Hastings is taking care of business, earning a 2-0 win over Roseville on Monday afternoon.

“It was a good first game to get the jitters out, and move on from here,” Robinson said.

The game was scoreless until the sixth inning.

With Katie Nelson on second base and Jordan Schaffer on first, Hastings senior Jenelle Trautmann came up to the plate and hit a double over the centerfielder’s head. Nelson and Schaffer scored and that was all the offense the Raiders needed.

Junior Treya Connell pitched 4 and 1/3 innings for the Raiders, striking out nine. She was relieved in the fifth by Trautmann, who closed out the game.

Kaitlin Stark had two singles for the Raiders, who finished with four hits on the day.

Kelsey Nelson saw her first varsity action. She is a sophomore and played second base.

Hastings plays host to Park Thursday afternoon.

Tags: sports, hastings, softball, prep