Marshall softball drops doubleheader to Belle Plaine (2025)

Photo by Jake McNeill: Marshall outfielder Naya Grahn swings at a pitch during the second game of a Big South Conference doubleheader against Belle Plaine at the Marshall Softball Complex on Saturday.

MARSHALL — Belle Plaine’s offense was too much for the Marshall softball team to keep pace with in Saturday’s Big South Conference doubleheader. The Marshall Tigers fell behind early in both games as the Belle Plaine Tigers claimed a 20-5 win in five innings and a 20-3 win in four innings.

Sara Dallman led the team with three hits and three RBIs in the doubleheader.

Marshall falls to 0-4 with the loss and will look to bounce back on Monday when it hosts Pipestone Area (2-1) for a doubleheader at 5 p.m.

GAME 1 (5 Inn.)

Belle Plaine 20,

Marshall 5

Belle Plaine first got ahead with a nine-run first inning, capped off by a two-run home run by Brooke Burgermeister. The visiting Tigers also scored seven runs in the third inning and two each of the final two frames. Kyla Sklucazek also hit a two-run homer in the fourth.

Marshall’s big inning came in the third. A Brynlee Dieken double, a Naya Grahn single and a Justine Lee walk loaded the bases with one out when Sara Dallman hit a sacrifice fly to drive in a run. A pased ball advanced the remaining runners into scoring position and Bailey Parsons hit a two-run single to make the score 16-4.

Alissa Moen started for Marshall, giving up six earned and eight unearned runs on nine hits over 2 1/3 innings. Sara Dallman allowed four earned runs on 11 hits over 2 2/3, and also came up with a pair of hits at the plate.

Sklucazek pitched all five innings for Belle Plaine, allowing one earned run with 11 strikeouts and a pair of walks allowed. She limited Marshall to three hits.

With two outs in the first, Sara Dallman hit a double and scored on a wild pitch. She also drove in a run in the fifth when Dieken walked and Sallman singled to score her with two outs.

Burgermeister racked up four hits, three RBIs and a walk for Belle Plaine while Sklucazek and Mallory Kelm each contributed another three hits.

GAME 2 (4 Inn.)

Belle Plaine 20,

Marshall 3

Belle Plaine surged ahead of Marshall with 11 first-inning runs on 10 hits, including a three-run homer by Kelm. They added another six runs on seven hits in the second and never looked back.

Marshall scored all of its runs in the top of the third. Aubrey Schaefer doubled and Jaylah Morgan singled to put runners on the corners. Claire Kruse grounded out to score Schaefer and, with two outs, Lee reached on an error to score Morgan and Dallman singled to score Lee, making the score 17-3.

Belle Plaine tacked on another three runs in the bottom of the third and retired Marshall in order in the top of the fourth to activate the mercy rule.

Moen pitched all three innings for Marshall, allowing seven earned and 13 unearned runs on 21 hits and a walk. Hailey Furrer pitched all four for Belle Plaine, allowing one earned run on three hits with three strikeouts.

Schaefer, Dallman and Morgan accounted for Marshall’s three hits in the game, with Schaefer having Marshall’s only extra-base hits.

Rachel Johnson, Kelm, Laney Dalchow and Isabel Tuchtenhagen each had three hits for Belle Plaine, with Burgermeister, Kelm and Dalchow each driving in four runs.