HOPKINS – Madilyn Decker was the hero for the Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted softball team in their first game of the season. Coming over from the JV game, Decker had the walk-off hit for the Lakers in a 5-4 win over Lester Prairie.
Fast forward to the first round of the Section 5AA softball tournament, and Decker was just feet away from being the hero again.
Despite being down 4-0 and 11-6, the Lakers never stopped fighting. The comeback attempt came up just short in the top of the seventh as Blake held on for an 11-10 win to end HLWW’s season Tuesday night.
“They didn’t want this season to be over,” HLWW coach Carol Meyerson said. “The seniors didn’t want it to end for sure. They were the driving force behind it making sure heads were held high and everyone was staying in the game.”
Down by a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, Anna Smith started the rally for the Lakers with one. Smith reached on a single to bring the tying run to the plate, which happened to be Decker. A long battle at the plate was won by Decker as she roped a ball to deep centerfield. Decker just missed a game-tying home run by less than three feet but settled for a double that gave the Lakers runners on second and third with nobody out.
Smith would score on a groundout while Decker moved up to third. That’s where Decker would be left as Blake got out of the jam with another groundout to seal the win.
“Our message was that this was a season of adversity with a lot to overcome,” Meyerson said about the team huddle after the game. “There’s a lot of life lessons you can learn there. They should know for themselves that they can overcome that even if you just chip away and just chip away. That’s in softball, in other sports, and in life.”
A big reason for the comeback effort for HLWW was the production the Lakers got from the bottom of the lineup. Smith, Decker, and Breanna Decker combined for six hits in the bottom third of the order to give HLWW life.
“It’s big in a game like this,” Meyerson said. “It gets other people excited. If the bottom half of the lineup can hit, anybody can hit. A lot of those girls have moved up and down the lineup. Their job is to hit no matter where they are and that’s what they did.”
Another big key for HLWW was switching pitchers. Both Breanna Decker and Lexi Koch came in and out of the game to give the Bears different looks. It paid off, especially in the bottom of the sixth when they retired Blake to give them a shot in the seventh.
“We prepped them ahead of time knowing that it might be this way,” Meyerson said. “If there’s walks or a lot of hits, we’ve got to give them a different look. That’s part of our game when we don’t have that one pitcher that’s your No. 1. We have four pitchers that can all do a good job. Sometimes that’s a strategy we have to go with. Today, it almost worked.”
HLWW’s season comes to an end with an overall record of 3-18. With a roster full of young talent coming off not having a season a year ago, Meyerson is already looking forward to what next season can bring.
“There was a lot of growth considering last year we didn’t have a season,” Meyerson said. “This year is really going to get us ready for next year. We’re going to see a different team next year. They’re going to have a summer to play. They’re going to have a normal school year. This is a really good start for a lot of the young girls.”
One of those young girls that emerged as a go-to player for HLWW was Decker. After starting the season on JV, she became a legitimate threat at the plate and in the field for the Lakers.
“It’s been super fun to see her grow,” Meyerson said. “She is one of the most focused players. She’s open to being coached. She’s one of the most improved players for sure. I’m really excited to see her next year. She’s got two years left so that will be fun.”
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Follow Kip Kovar on Twitter: @Kovar_HJSports