After falling to Chanhassen twice during the regular season, New Prague sent Nichole Reed to the pitcher's circle and was rewarded with a dominating effort from the tall freshman.

Reed tossed a complete-game shutout, allowing one hit and walking one with 10 strikeouts in New Prague's 4-0 win over the Storm on Saturday morning in a  Section 2, Class 3A winner's bracket semifinal at Miller Park in Eden Prairie.

"I was feeling really good (today)," Reed said. "This morning I just woke up and felt it was a good day."

The tall freshman was dealing from the start, racking up her first four strikeouts in the first two innings, and the Chanhassen hitters just couldn't seem to catch up to Reed's impressive rise-ball.

Coach Nat Wagner said Reed has come a long way in a short time, both physically and mentally, for such a young player.

"She's just grown up so much in the last year," Wagner said. "She seems to embrace pressure more now. She wants to be the one with the ball in her hands in the circle."

And those physical tools?

"She's always had the long levers and the long fingers so some of (her growth) is just learning control," Wagner said. "She had the raw stuff last year, so it was just a matter of learning how to spot those pitches."

Reed dealt with some offseason health issues that put her on the shelf for six-plus months after last summer, and Wagner said battling through that adversity has given Reed the confidence and mental toughness that a pitcher needs.

For Reed, the difference between last season and the current season is all about where her focus lies.

"Keeping my presence on the mound," Reed said. "Just being able to focus on the next pitch and not anything else besides what I need to do."

The freshman, who has pitched over half the innings for New Prague this season, is just now hitting full-stride according to Wagner, and that bodes well for the young Missota conference champion Trojans (16-5), who are unbeaten since a late-April loss to Chanhassen (18-5).

With the win New Prague moves on to Tuesday's winner's bracket championship game at 5 p.m. at Miller Park. Chanhassen dropped into loser's bracket play on Saturday.

What's the key to keeping things rolling for a team with no seniors and a host of eighth graders and freshmen?

"Trust preparation and just stick with the process … just play our game" Wagner said. "That was really the message a couple innings in (Saturday's game). If we trust our game, we can compete with anybody. The enemy with younger teams is trying to do too much. They have to trust their mechanics and fundamentals and that'll get it done."

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