Although the Albert Lea softball team aimed for more, it matched last year’s postseason record and posted more wins this season than any other under coach Dan Harms.

“We kept telling the girls that we should be able to improve on last season,” coach Harms said. “We’ll set the bar a little higher next season.”

The Tigers (11-13 overall, 8-9 Big Nine Conference) finished the season with a 2-2 record in the Section 2AA Tournament.

Albert Lea headed into the postseason with a doubleheader sweep at Faribault to take the No. 5 seed in the Subsection 2AA South bracket. The Tigers avenged a regular-season home loss in the subsection quarterfinals with a 12-6 win at No. 4-seed Waseca to get to double-elimination territory. Albert Lea continued with a 4-3 loss at NRHEG in the subsection semifinals and headed to the consolation bracket Saturday at Caswell Park in Mankato.

In the first round of the consolation bracket, the Tigers beat Tri-City United 5-4, and they were eliminated with a 5-1 loss against Norwood Young America in the consolation quarterfinals.

Norwood Young America advanced to play Belle Plaine in the consolation semifinals. Belle Plaine eliminated NRHEG 11-10 in the consolation quarterfinals. Norwood Young America or Belle Plaine will play Maple River in the consolation finals, and the winner of that game will play LeSueur-Henderson in the section final.

Against Tri-City United, Albert Lea used two runs in the sixth inning to erase a one run deficit and win by one run.

Hanna Schilling led the Tigers from the pitching circle. She retired four batters and gave up nine hits, four runs and two earned runs.

“I felt she could handle that game even without a lot of varsity experience,” coach Harms said.

Haley Harms led Albert Lea at the plate by going 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.

In the consolation quarterfinals, the Tigers faced the No. 1 seed in the section: Norwood Young America. The Raiders (19-3 overall, 11-2 Minnesota River Conference) fell to the consolation bracket after a 2-0 loss against LeSueur-Henderson in the Subsection 2AA North finals.

Albert Lea’s only run of the game came on a solo home run by Caycee Gilbertson — her second of the postseason.

“It was a shot to right-center,” coach Harms said. “She really got all of it on that one.”

However, Norwood Young America ended the game with five unanswered runs with the help of four Albert Lea errors.

“It wasn’t one of our better games defensively,” coach Harms said. “We also didn’t put the ball in play well enough with 11 Ks (strikeouts).”

Harms pitched for Albert Lea. She retired six batters and allowed nine hits, four walks and three earned runs.

Five seniors played their last game for the Tigers: Gilbertson, Lynzee Underdahl, Sara Sanderson, Haley Schroader and Lindsay Reim.

“These girls were part of a milestone this year,” coach Harms said. “I’ve been putting out feelers to find out when the last time was that Albert Lea had 10 or more wins.”

Coach Harms said he hasn’t found the last time that happened, but he said it’s been at least a decade.

Next season, the Big Nine Conference will be separated into east and west pods. He said the Tigers will play teams in the same pod twice during the season and the other teams once.

Summer play for the Albert Lea softball team will start June 3.

Statistics are in the Scoreboard: May 24 post.