Control from the pitching circle wasn’t enough to push the Albert Lea softball team past Winona on Friday.

Neither team surrendered a base on balls, and the Tigers lost 10-4 at Winona.

Haley Harms led Albert Lea by retiring two batters and allowing 12 hits. Kalley Schultz pitched for Winona. She allowed 10 hits and struck out seven.

The Winhawks clung to a 1-0 lead through three innings, but their lead was extended to seven runs in the bottom of the fourth. Albert Lea

responded with four runs of their own in the top of the fifth.

“Our bright spot was in the fifth inning where we strung five hits together,” said Albert Lea coach Dan Harms. “We woke up, but it wasn’t enough.”

Winona added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth to add breathing room, and neither team scored in the sixth or seventh innings.

Taylor Thompson led Albert Lea at the plate by going 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Megan Kortan was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and run scored. Lynzee Underdahl also scored a run, was 2-for-3 and drove in a run.

Coach Harms said he is looking for more focus and enthusiasm from a squad that showed plenty of both in the first game of the season, a 7-2 win at Owatonna on Thursday.

“We played absolutely flat and struggled on defense with four errors,” he said.

Last season, Albert Lea fell 2-0 at home against Winona, and the Winhawks ended the Tigers’ postseason run with a 5-2 loss at Todd Park in Austin.

Next, Albert Lea (1-1 overall, 1-1 Big Nine Conference) will play a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. Monday at Faribault.

The Tigers swept Faribault last season on the road 14-3 and 9-2.

Statistics are in the Scoreboard: April 11 post.