Hawks’ state title bid derailed by Wolverines

FORT DODGE — It was not third time’s a charm for Lynnville-Sully’s softball team at Harlan and Hazel Rogers Sports Complex.

Long ball trumped small ball as the Hawks dropped a 3-2 decision Tuesday to River Valley’s Wolverines in the opening round of the 2015 Iowa Class 1A State Softball Tournament. A two-run home run by Alycen Knaack in the bottom of the fourth inning propelled River Valley to a 3-2 lead.

The Wolverines had the pitching and defense to make that score stand up through three more innings. Lynnville-Sully, which came into the state tournament ranked fourth and seeded No. 2, was held to two hits in the contest.

“We just didn’t have our day,” Lynnville-Sully head coach Stacey Alberts said after the contest. “Obviously, we had our hearts set on a different goal. We won’t dwell on it long. We’re still competitors and want to finish the best we can.”

Lynnville-Sully (35-4) regroups and adjusts its state tournament goal following the first-round loss. For the third straight year, the Hawks fall into consolation bracket play on Wednesday.

The Hawks will be in a rematch of the same consolation game a year ago. They will take on Marquette Catholic’s Mohawks (30-6) at 10 a.m. Lynnville-Sully edged Marquette Catholic, 3-2, in last year’s matchup.

Marquette Catholic lost 6-5 Tuesday to AGWSR after leading 3-0 going into the top of the seventh. AGWSR scored six runs in the seventh to take a 6-3 lead, The Mohawks scored twice after two were gone, but a strikeout ended the game with the tying run on.

In Monday’s two Class 1A quarterfinals, top-seeded New London beat Newell-Fonda 9-1 and Logan Magnolia dispatched Don Bosco 10-0 in five innings. Those two winners play at 3:30 p.m. and AGWSR plays River Valley at 5:30 p.m. in Thursday’s semifinals.

The 1A championship game is at 5:30 p.m. Friday.

While Lynnville-Sully and Marquette Catholic square off Wednesday morning, Newell-Fonda plays Don Bosco.

The winners of the morning games play for fifth place and the losers go for seventh. Both games start at 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Lynnville-Sully opened the game as the visiting team well. Kasiah Ehresman drew a leadoff walk and stole second base. Lizzy Van Manen’s grounder to third base was enough to allow Ehresman to move to third on the throw to first base.

Madison Rasmusson’s ground out produced a run. The Hawks were up 1-0.

River Valley came right back to tie the game on two singles by Payton Goettsch and Jenn Knaack. Makenna Thomas, the Wolverines’ starting pitcher, hit the ball hard to center field, and Lynnville-Sully’s Lysandra James misplayed the ball, and it got past her.

Payton Goettsch scored. Madison Rasmusson got Taylor Goettsch to pop out to Brenna Lanser at third base and she struck out Allison Brown.

The teams played two scoreless innings. Lynnville-Sully left one runner on base in each of the second and third innings. Rasmusson struck out the side in River View’s second and retired the Wolverines in order again in the third.

Lysandra James reached on a dropped third strike to begin the fourth inning for the Hawks. Shelby Foster entered the game as James’ courtesy runner and stole second following a fly-ball out by Lanser.

Maria Rasmusson drew a walk and Haley James laid down a bunt for a single to load the bases. Jelissa Rozendaal’s pinch-hit ground out drove in a run. Maria Rasmusson was tagged out trying to score on a passed ball.

The Hawks gained a 2-1 lead.

Thomas singled to left field to start the bottom of the fourth for River Valley. Madison Rasmusson struck out the next two Wolverine batters. She had a 0-2 count on Alycen Knaack, when the unloaded on the next pitch to hit her third home run of they year.

Lynnville-Sully did not have another opportunity to score as Thomas and the Wolverines recorded three straight 1-2-3 innings to get the win.

“We had runners on base today. We didn’t execute once runners were in scoring position to bring them across,” Alberts said.

Madison Rasmusson allowed five hits, did not issue a walk and struck out six in a losing effort. Thomas held the Hawks to two hits, walked three and struck out three as River Valley’s winning pitcher.

Maria Rasmusson and Haley James each had a single — both on bunts — for Lynnville-Sully.

Alberts said she was giving the Lynnville-Sully players time with their families right after the game.

“We will reconnect later today, then start talking about today and planning for tomorrow,” she said.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535
or jsheets@newtondailynews.com