Conference-leading Hastings defeated Roseville 6-1 in Suburban East softball Thursday despite the chilly, windy and rainy weather.

“I always tell the girls, whoever’s winning is going to be warmer,” Hastings coach Dean Robinson said. “If the weather’s crappy, whoever’s winning, they’re not going to feel it a much. So that’s the big thing with the cold weather is to get on top.”

Robinson said sophomore pitcher Meagan Friederichs had a standout game. But Friederichs attributed her quick innings to her teammates and a Roseville lineup lacking power hitters.

“I don’t think I had very many strikeouts,” Friederichs said. “Since the defense was there that’s why I had so many one, two, three [innings].”

Roseville assistant coach Meggan Staton said her young team needs to work on its batting, especially timing and finding gaps.

“We just hit right at them. We hit at everybody every single time,” Staton said. “So you can’t do much more when you’re hitting right at their third baseman and we get out.”

Junior shortstop Maria Ascher said Roseville’s infield was solid with few mistakes and freshman pitcher Aryka Knoche — just back from an injury — stepped up.

“We really need to just work on our communication and not giving up on plays,” Ascher said. “We had a few people just lackadaisically going after balls.”

Hastings is 11-2 in conference play, Roseville 4-8.

 

Megan Ryan is a University of Minnesota student reporter on assignment for the Star Tribune.