2023 Class AAA Softball State Championship: Mankato East 11, Chisago Lakes 0

Mankato East went to great lengths just to qualify for the Class AAA championship game that was played on Friday, June 9 in the Minnesota State High School League’s Softball State Tournament at Caswell Park in North Mankato. The night before, the top-seeded Cougars were in a dandy battle with No. 3 Cretin-Derham Hall, a tense, dramatic affair that endured for 10 nail-biting innings before Mankato East prevailed.

With being on the threshold of capturing the school’s first softball championship in more than 30 decades, the Cougars didn’t leave anything to chance.

Mankato East took control from the start and didn’t let up until the final out of an 11-0 victory over No.3 Chisago Lakes in the Class AAAA title game.  The Cougars (25-3) scored in every inning but the sixth and broke things open with a four-run top of the seventh on the way to the first championship since 1991. Mankato East previously had won Class AA championships in 1986, 1988 and 1989, respectively.

Junior catcher Destiny Reasner was 3 for 4 with three runs batted in to lead a 10-hit attack. She and teammate Emily Hacker, a freshman left fielder, each had a home run in helping the Cougars finish the season on a 14-1 spree since May 9.

Junior designated hitter Lillian Myhra had two hits for Chisago Lakes (21-5), who were in a championship game for the first time in two state tournament trips.

Third place

Cretin-Derham Hall, making its third state tournament appearance and first since 2021, finished the season on a winning note with a 4-0 victory over Delano for the third-place trophy. Senior first baseman Sophie Black was 2 for 2 with two runs batted in to pace the Raiders.   

Consolation

Sophomore shortstop Jillian Fitzgerald scored three runs and had one of Winona’s four hits in a 4-1 victory over Becker in the consolation final. Senior pitcher Kurstyn Patnode accounted for Becker’s lone run with a home run in the bottom of the third that tied the score at 1-all.