After Falling to Hopkins, Orono Teeters on Brink of Elimination

Hopkins pitcher Morgan Nybo, who leads the state in wins with a 16-1 record, was too tough for Orono Thursday.

The junior led the seventh-ranked Royals (19-2) to an 8-3 win over the Orono Spartans (16-6) in Section 6AAA softball at Richfield Middle School. Hopkins built a 6-0 lead in the first five innings.

Hopkins plays Lake Conference rivals Wayzata on Friday at 5 p.m. at Richfield in the championship bracket. Wayzata rallied from an 8-0 deficit to edge Richfield 9-8 in the other game Thursday.

So far in the tournament, Hopkins has outscored its two opponents 19-4.

Orono will meet host Richfield in the losers brackets today at 5 p.m. Teams need two losses to be eliminated from the tournament.