Section Softball Brackets Released; Tournament begins on Monday

(KDLM) – Section tournaments for high school softball begin on Monday and, on Sunday, the MSHSL released brackets for the upcoming tournament season.

The Detroit Lakes Lakers (3-16) will begin play in the 8AAA tournament as the six-seed and will travel to Little Falls (5-15) on Tuesday to face the #3-seed Flyers on Tuesday at 4:30. Rocori (11-9) is the top seed and defending section champion in the 8AAA, and awaits the winner of #4 Alexandria (4-15) and #5 Willmar (1-17). #2 Sauk Rapids-Rice (8-12) will get the winner of Detroit Lakes vs Little Falls with the losers all dropping down to the consolation bracket of the double-elimination tournament.

The Section 5A tournament begins Monday afternoon. The defending section champion Menahga Braves (13-7) are the top seed in Section 5A West this season and will get a first-round bye in the tournament. They’ll face the winner of#4 Pine River-Backus (8-12) and #5 Laporte (7-7) on Tuesday. #3 Sebeka (7-12) will host #6 Nevis (7-8) tonight, and #2 Walker-Hackensack-Akeley (14-1) will play #7 Cass Lake-Bena.(0-6)

In 6A, the Lake Park-Audubon Raiders (5-7) were given the #4-seed in the western side of the Section 6A bracket and will host #5 Hancock (5-8) on Tuesday. Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley (14-5) is the top seed in the west and will host the winner of LPA and Hancock. Other matchups in 6A West include #2 Wheaton-Herman-Norcross (12-5) vs #7 Hillcrest Lutheran (0-10) and #3 Rothsay (9-9) vs #6 Ashby (2-14).

On the east side of 6A, Upsala (18-2) gets the #1 seed as they look to defend its section title, and will take on #8 LPGE (4-13). #4 Parkers Prairie (12-8) will host #5 Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale (10-10), #2 Browerville (15-5) gets #7 Brandon-Evansville (12-7), and #3 New York Mills (14-6) will play #6 Swanville (11-7).

In Section 8A, BGMR (20-1) is the top overall seed and will play #16 Indus (2-3) on Tuesday. Defending section champion Red Lake Falls (16-3) is the #2 seed in this year’s tournament and will host #15 West Marshall Fusion (0-16). Other first-round matchups in 8A include #3 NCE/UH (12-8) vs #14 Bagley (1-17), #4 East Polk (16-3) vs #13 Red Lake County Central (2-10), #5 Fertile-Beltrami (11-7) vs #12 Northern Freeze 5-11, #6 Northome/Kelliher (11-5) vs #11 Ada-Borup-West (6-11), #7 Blackduck (10-4) vs #10 Lake of the Woods (6-9), and #8 Mahnomen/Waubun (8-7) vs Sacred Heart (9-8).

In Section 8AA North, Thief River Falls (11-6) was awarded the top seed, with defending section champion Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton (18-2) given the two. TRF will host #8 Red Lake (0-6) on Tuesday. DGF will play #7 Crookston (0-15). #3 Park Rapids (14-6) will play #6 East Grand Forks (5-9), #4 Roseau (16-6) will play #5 Warroad (8-7).

On the South side of 8AA, top-seeded Breckenridge-Wahpeton (13-3) will get a first-round bye and await the winner of #8 Ottertail Central (2-16) and #9 Perham (2-17). OTC and Perham will play at 3:00 on Tuesday, with the winner playing Breck/Wahp at 5:00.

#2 Wadena-Deer Creek (14-6) plays #7 Frazee (4-16), #3 Barnesville (12-7) plays #6 Pelican Rapids (8-12), and #4 Hawley (10-9) plays #5 Fergus Falls (7-11).

FIRST-ROUND PLAYOFF SCHEDULE:

5A- Monday, May 22:

#5 Laporte @ #4 Pine River Backus, 4:30

#6 Nevis @ #3 Sebeka, 4:30

#7 Cass Lake-Bena @ #2 Walker-Hackensack-Akeley, 3:30

6A- Tuesday, May 23

#8 LPGE @ #1 Upsala, 5:00

#5 Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale @ #4 Parkers Prairie, 5:00

#7 Brandon-Evansville @ #2 Browerville, 5:00

#6 Swanville @ #3 New York Mills, 5:00

#5 Hancock @ #4 Lake Park-Audubon, 5:00

#7 Hillcrest Lutheran @ #2 Wheaton-Herman-Norcross, 5:00