She is only a freshman but Ashley Walker is already making a
name for herself as a dominating softball pitcher.

She added to her already impressive resume last Thursday when
she no-hit the Red Wing Wingers en route to an 8-0 victory.

The win improves Walker’s record to 10-5 on the season. In her
first varsity season, Walker has pitched 100.1 innings, giving up only 14
earned runs on 48 hits while striking out 141 and walking 15.

Against the Wingers, Walker struck out eight and walked none.
Her defense committed four errors but she was able to pitch around them and
lead the Sabers to victory.

Shakopee’s offense provided Walker with all the run support she
needed when it scored four runs in the first. All four runs were unearned as a
Red Wing error on Alex Schewe’s bunt with two outs led to all four runs.

After the error, Amber Holmgren delivered with a single to left
that drove in two runs.

The Sabers added runs in the sixth and seventh innings.

Shakopee 6

New Prague 5,

In a wild game, the Sabers defeated New Prague 6-5 in eight
innings.

Shakopee opened up a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Annen
started the rally with a walk. That was followed by a double by Walker, a
single by Emma Bruss, a fielder’s choice and single by Dani Dahl.

New Prague countered with two runs of its own in the bottom of
the first.

In the third inning, New Prague scored two more times to take a
4-3 lead. It could have been worse for the Sabers but they were able to throw
out a potential run at home for the third out.

“We escaped a big inning by them with the throw by Beinhorn and
tag by Walker at the plate to end the bases-loaded threat,” Johnson said.

In the fifth, Annen tied the game at 4-4 when she scored after
reaching base on a New Prague error.

Shakopee regained the lead in the seventh when Sheehan led off
with a single to left. She moved up to second on Mia Winterfeldt’s sacrifice
bunt. Annen followed with a single that put runners on first and third with one
out for the Sabers.

Sheehan than scored on a wild pitch to give the Sabers a 5-4
lead.

The Trojans answered with two singles and an error by Shakopee
to tie the game and send it into the eighth inning.

In the eighth, Bruss started the rally and moved to second on
Schewe’s infield hit. Both runners moved up a base on Holmgren grounder to
first. Sheehan than blooped a hit just over the shortstop’s head to score the
winning run.

Walker finished the Trojans off in order in the bottom of the
eight. She finished with 14 strikeouts.

Shakopee 7, Waconia 1

On May 7, Shakopee defeated Waconia 7-1.

Walker got the win as the offense finally game alive for the
Sabers.

“We finally had a game where we scored more than five runs,”
head coach Neil Johnson said. “It gave us a chance to try other players during
the game. Nineteen Sabers saw action in the contest.”

The offense showed up early as Molly Annen led off the game with
a triple. She came home on Amanda Beinhorn’s single.

In the second inning, Dani Dahl led off with a double, which was
followed by a walk to Holmgren. Dahl scored on two straight wild pitches and
Holmgren made it 3-0 on another Beinhorn RBI single.

Shakopee broke the game open in the fourth inning as it scored
four runs. The Sabers loaded the bases thanks to walks to Holmgren, Lindsey
Sheehan and Mia Winterfeldt.

A wild pitch scored Holmgren and Sheehan scored on a fielder’s
choice.

Walker helped her own cause as she drove home the last two runs
with a single.

Edina 3, Shakopee 2

The Sabers played their fourth game in five days when they faced
Edina last Friday. Shakopee lost 3-2, which ended its three-game winning
streak.

“We were really flat to begin the game,” Johnson said. “We went
through the first three innings one, two, and three and then we woke up a bit.
Perhaps the long bus ride home the previous day and four games in one week
caught up with us.”

After three innings, Edina held a 1-0 lead. In the fourth
inning, Shakopee tied the score at 1-1 when Walker delivered with a two-out
triple and scored on Emma Bruss’s double.

In the bottom of the inning Edina regained the lead only to see
Shakopee score in the fifth to make it 2-2.

To tie the game, Dahl doubled, moved to third on Holmgren’s
single and scored on Sheehan’s sacrifice fly.

In the seventh inning, the Sabers threatened to take the lead
but failed to score a run with runners on second and third with no outs.

“We couldn’t get the key hit to take the lead,” Johnson said.

In the bottom of the seventh, Edina won the game on a single and
two Shakopee errors.

Playoffs begin next Tuesday at Caswell Park in Mankato.

May 7 vs.
Waconia

Waconia                                   000 001 0   1 3 0

Shakopee                                 120
400 x   7 5 2

Shakopee batters: Mollie Annen 1-2, 2R, RBI, 3B;
Amanda Beinhorn 2-3; Ashley Walker 1-3, 2RBI; Emma Bruss 0-3; Dani Dahl 1-3.,
R, 2B; Mia Winterfeldt 0-1, R; Alex Schewe 0-2; Gabe Ruhland 0-1; Amber
Holmgren 0-1, R; Emily Pehrson 0-1; Lindsey Sheehan, 0-1, R; Laura Menke 0-1;. Shakopee pitchers: Walker 4IP, 0R, 1H, 6K,1BB; Schewe 3IP,
1R, 2H, 4K, 2BB.

May 8 at Red
Wing

Shakopee                                 400
001 1   6 6 4

Red Wing                                 000 000 0   0 0 0

Shakopee batters: Mollie Annen 0-3, R; Amanda
Beinhorn 2-4, RBI; Ashley Walker 0-4; Emma Bruss 1-4, R; Dani Dahl 1-4, 2R, RBI;
Mandy Scherer 1-3; Miah Winterfeldt 0-3; Alex Schewe 0-1, R; Gabe Ruhland 0-1;
Amber Holmgren 2-3, 3 RBI; Alyssa Winterfield 0-2. Shakopee pitchers: Walker 7IP, 0H, 0R, 8K.

May 9 at Edina

Shakopee                                 000
011 0   2 6 3

Red Wing                                 001 100 1   3 9 0

Shakopee batters: Mollie Annen 0-3; Amanda
Beinhorn 0-3; Ashley Walker 2-3, 2B, 3B; Emma Bruss 1-3, RBI, 2B; Dani Dahl 2-3,
R, 2B; Miah Winterfeldt 0-2; Alex Schewe 0-2; Gabe Ruhland 0-1; Amber Holmgren
1-3; Lindsey Sheehan 0-2. Shakopee pitchers:
Walker 6.1IP, 9H, 3R, 2ER, 9K, 1HBP.

May 12 at New
Prague

Shakopee                                 300
010 11   6 9 2

New Prague                              202 000 10  5 11 0

Shakopee batters: Mollie Annen 1-4, 2R; Amanda
Beinhorn 0-3; Ashley Walker 1-4, RBI, R, 2B; Emma Bruss 2-4, 2R; Dani Dahl 1-2
RBI; Miah Winterfeldt 0-2; Alex Schewe 2-4, RBI; Amber Holmgren 0-4; Lindsey
Sheehan 2-4, RBI, R. Shakopee pitchers:
Walker 8IP, 11H, 5R, 4ER, 14K, 1BB.