Offensive struggles sink Cougars (PHOTOS)

ACKLEY – A pair of minor mistakes in the first inning of Monday's regional final between AGWSR softball and Bishop Garrigan ended up being enough for the Golden Bears to advance to the Class 1A state tournament, 1-0 winners over the Cougars.
  
A pitch got away from Cougar pitcher Taryan Barrick that hit Mackenzie Meister with one out in the first inning. Meister stole second and Emma Fogarty ripped a double to the right-field fence to score Meister as the game's only run.
  
Thanks to a one-hit pitching performance from Garrigan hurler Amanda Miller, the Bears were able to deny the Cougars a return trip to the state tournament even though AGWSR returned many from last year's state runner-up team.
  
"Gotta score to win," AGWSR co-head coach Scott O'Brien said. "She pitched us exactly the way we knew she would, but we didn't adjust. … No patience, no discipline in the at-bats, everything that we stressed at them to do coming into the game."
  
Barrick and AGWSR's defense held Garrigan to one hit the rest of the way, and Barrick struck out 10 to finish with 997 career strikeouts.
 
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