1 week Ago By Andrew Haugland
GLYNDON, Minn. — Opposing hitters have quite a tall task when facing Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton softball pitcher Autumn Leach. Leach holds a 9-1 record in the pitching circle and has given up only 20 hits in those games.
She allowed an unearned run in her only loss, a 1-0 setback against Breckenridge. In all, Leach has four no-hitters, six shutouts and 69 strikeouts midway through the regular season. Leach’s dominance stems from focusing on every pitch delivered with a mixture of accuracy and spontaneity.
“Mixing up (my pitches) up, making sure I’m hitting my spots and (keeping) other teams on edge,” Leach said. In just her sophomore season, Leach has a senior’s-worth of experience. This spring will mark her fourth season for the Rebels.
With years of experience under her belt, Leach said her command in the circle, including velocity and pitch execution, and confidence have been key areas of growth since joining the program as a seventh-grader. The fearless attitude that Leach brings against opponents is one of her key strengths. “She likes to be in control and go right after kids,” DGF co-head coach Tyler Drechsel said of Leach.
“She’s not afraid to challenge kids. It doesn’t matter who they are.” “She’s really good at taking the pressure on her shoulders and we know we can trust her,” senior Makayla Bjelland added.
The eight players surrounding Leach in the lineup card have helped alleviate the burdens that come with pitching. Leach said the tight-knit bond has played dividends in the team’s success. The Rebels are ranked No.
3 in Class 2A by the Minnesota High School Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association at 9-1. Defense isn’t the only strong suit in the Rebels arsenal. The high-powered DGF offense, paced by junior Kaitlyn Kittelson and Bjelland, has outscored opponents 117-9.
“Those two have been really key for us in the lineup and on defense,” said Drechsel, who co-coaches the Rebels alongside his father, Ron. Kittelson has a team-high .613 batting average with 12 RBIs and 20 runs scored.
Bjelland is just behind with a .588 average, including 12 RBIs and eight doubles. “It’s our job to get on base and score the runs our team needs,” Bjelland said.
Junior Ellie Boyd leads the team with 14 RBIs, Leach has 13 and Greta Devries also has 12. As a team, DGF maintains a .385 average in 10 games with only 22 strikeouts in 265 at-bats.
The Rebels battle Wadena-Deer Creek on the road at 5 p.m. Monday, April 28.
“We know we have talent,” Bjelland said. “We know that we can win every game. We just need to show up every game, focused, prepared and just do what we know how to do.
” DGF will play 10 more contests in the final three weeks of the regular season. The Section 8-2A tournament opens Monday, May 19, with first round games. The Nos.
1 and 2 seeds will have byes, and quarterfinals will be played on Tuesday, May 20, at high-seed locations. “We just need to keep staying consistent and keeping on edge,” Leach said. “We need to do what we can control,” Tyler Drechsel added.
“We just can’t beat ourselves.”.
