Photo Gallery: Prior Lake vs. Farmington
Eight or so years of playing together gave Prior Lake seniors Kailey Ahlstrom and Abby Sagert plenty of time to develop chemistry.
The results were on display Wednesday against the defending state champions.
Ahlstrom threw a complete-game shutout with 13 strikeouts in a 4-0 home win over Farmington, helped largely in part by the game Sagert called behind the plate. The Lakers senior battery baffled a Tigers squad that returned most of the core that won last year’s Class 4A title.
When Farmington (4-1, 3-1) hitters weren’t striking out, they were largely popping up weakly. Of the seven Tiger baserunners, three came via walk, and two more on errors. Ahlstrom had all of her pitches working for what she said was the first time all year, and her catcher knew it.
“I think it’s really important to have a really good battery, and have a pitcher and catcher that are on the same page, having that ability to communicate with one another,” Sagert said. “I know when she moves like this, she wants this pitch, or when she makes that face, she wants that pitch. It’s really important to have that, and be that solid and have that communication.”
Ahlstrom agreed that her and Sagert were on the same page against Farmington.
“I love Abby. She’s awesome,” Ahlstrom said. “We have been playing together for so long. We know each other so well. I’ll be on the mound thinking, ‘I want to throw this pitch,’ and she will call it, and it just works.”
It’s one thing for the two to have chemistry. It’s another for them to have the talent they do. Ahlstrom will play at Middle Tennessee State next year, while Sagert is committed to Illinois, giving the Lakers a pair of NCAA Division I players who are hard workers.
Asked what it’s like to have that kind of battery, Lakers coach Matt Haefner laughed before answering.
“Both Kailey and Abby, they’re two of the hardest workers we’ve got,” he said. “When you’ve got a pitcher and catcher that do that and lead by example — I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
The Lakers (6-0, 5-0) missed out on state last year despite winning the South Suburban Conference title. Farmington won the Class 4A championship, in a season where two of the Tigers’ three losses came to Prior Lake. The conference championship is one goal for the Lakers, and competing for a state title is also high on the list.
Both Ahlstrom and Sagert were quick to hype the chemistry the team has, not only among the 10 seniors, but with the underclassmen as well. And when Ahlstrom and Sagert are rolling, it helps the coaches as well.
“The nice thing about that is it takes a lot of pressure off myself and my assistant, Dan Beech,” Haefner said. “These guys have played enough softball. They’re both going to Division I colleges. They’ve worked well enough together that we let Abby call the pitches. They know each other so well.”
It will be a hectic few weeks crammed full of games due to April’s lack of April-like weather. But sitting undefeated after a big win against a big rival, the Lakers say they’re ready to attack their goals.
“This was a huge game,” Sagert said. “We obviously want to be where they were last year. We want to win the state tournament. That’s our goal, that’s our endgame.”
Ahlstrom added: “We’re always hungry for more. We’re always ready to go.”