Lynnville-Sully chalks up third straight fifth-place finish at state

FORT DODGE — Going out on a victory is a good way to end the season and a career. Only four teams in each division at the Iowa state softball tournaments walk out of Harlan and Hazel Rogers Sports Complex with wins each year.

Lynnville-Sully’s Hawks dominated their two consolation games Wednesday, claiming fifth place in the Iowa Class 1A State Softball Tournament for the third straight season. The Hawks put the finishing touches on their 2015 season with a 12-3 win over Newell-Fonda in the fifth-place game.

“We were disappointed about yesterday (Tuesday’s first-round loss), but we knew we had to still get the job done today,” Senior right fielder Riley Rockwell said. “All the teams are tough to play against at state. We wanted to get the best we could here and that was fifth place.”

The Hawks ended the regular season ranked fourth in the 1A poll. They were seeded No. 2 going into the state tournament, but got upended 3-2 by River Valley in Tuesday’s opening round.

Only the state championship team, the third-place team, the fifth-place team and seventh-place team can be victors in their final game. After dropping the opener, Lynnville-Sully did what it has the past two years — regroup and win on Wednesday.

The Hawks found their hitting stroke in Wednesday’s first game. They pounded out 14 hits in a 11-0 rout of Marquette Catholic.

Lynnville-Sully officially had six hits in the win over Newell-Fonda, but the Hawks had a lot of hard hit balls which the Mustangs could not handle. Combine that fact with the speed of the Hawk players and Newell-Fonda made six errors in the game.

“Today we had a lot more offense, which helped. We only had two hits in Tuesday’s game,” Hawk pitching ace Madison Rasmusson said. “Coach always tells us, ‘If you shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you land among the stars. That’s where we’ve landed the past three years and I’m glad I was able to help the team make it to state all three years.”

Rasmusson delivered in the pitching circle and at the plate for the Hawks. With the two wins Wednesday, Rasmusson ended her senior season at 35-4. Lynnville-Sully was 37-4.

Rasmusson threw a three-hit shutout against Marquette Catholic. She struck out three and did not walk a batter. Rasmusson drove in four runs on a double and two singles.

In her final game for the Hawks in the circle, she allowed six hits, walked one and struck out two against Newell-Fonda. She had a single and three of her team’s 10 stolen bases in the game.

Hawk head coach Stacey Alberts said Wednesday was a better day than Tuesday.

“We had a great night with the girls. I’m proud of how they adjusted and came out and played well today,” Alberts said after the day’s work was finished. “We looked at Tuesday’s game and we didn’t do a very good job of keeping our hands on top of the balls at the plate. We gave them (River Valley) a lot of flyouts, which is a gift when we have the speed we do.”

Alberts said the girls worked hard to drive the ball and put it in play during Wednesday’s games. She said they did a good job hitting the ball hard.

“We wanted to keep making defenses work and maximize our speed down the line. We were able to do that today. We shook the defenses a little and it paid off for us,” Alberts said.

Lynnville-Sully put its plan to work early against Marquette Catholic’s Mohawks. In the second inning, the Hawks scored five runs on four hits and three Mohawk errors. It all started on a one-out single by eighth-grader Maria Rasmusson. Camryn Russell, a freshman, went in as a courtesy runner.

Sophomore left fielder Haley James beat out a bunt for a single and an error resulted in the runners moving to third and second base. Rockwell and sophomore shortstop Makenzy Rozendaal reached on back-to-back errors by the Mohawks. And so it went.

Staking out a 5-0 lead in the second inning, the Hawks extended it with a run in the third, two more in the fourth and a single run in the fifth. They tacked on two runs in the top of the seventh for the final margin.

Junior second baseman Kasiah Ehresman was 3-for-4 on three singles. She had three stolen bases, scored three runs and drove in two runs. Rozendaal hit a single and a double while sophomore catcher Lizzy Van Manen hit two singles.

Hitting a single apiece for the Hawks were senior center fielder Lysandra James, Maria Rasmusson and Haley James.

“From the start of the season, our main goal was to get to state again. Sure, we wanted the state championship,” Lysandra James said. “Today felt really good to win our final two games at state as seniors.”

Taking on the Mustangs of Newell-Fonda, which defeated Don Bosco 5-4 in the other consolation semifinal, the Hawks kept their plan in place.

Ehresman laid down a bunt to start the game and beat it out for a hit. She quickly stole second, and then third base. She scored on a passed ball. Lynnville-Sully posted a 1-0 lead and retired the Mustangs in order in bottom of the first inning.

Sophomore third baseman Brenna Lanser delivered a double to the gap in left field to open the second followed by an infield single by Maria Rasmusson. Haley James had a two-run base hit to left field.

Rockwell reached on an error. A throwing error on the same play put runners at second and third base for the Hawks and Rozendaal drew a walk. The bases were still loaded with two gone when Madison Rasmusson powered a pitch to center field and the fielder misplayed it. Three runs scored on the error, and Lysandra James ripped an RBI double to left field.

Lynnville-Sully was on its way, leading 7-0. Newell-Fonda produced a run on a single, a Hawk error and two wild pitches. The Hawks got the run back in the third inning when a sacrifice fly by Rockwell was deep enough to score Haley James.

The Hawks struck for four more runs in the fourth to stretch their lead to 12-1. As the 90-minute time limit was ticking down, Newell-Fonda was able to push two runs across in the bottom of the fifth before the game was halted.

On the field for the final out was senior Bayli Van Manen. She pinch hit for Haley James in the fifth and took over in left field.

“It meant the world to me to be out there. I had a lot of fun here at state with my team,” Bayli Van Manen said.

Another senior on the squad who was not on the field was Shelby Davis. Davis was the team’s starting shortstop until she had a season-ending knee injury in June.

“We hit a star today,” Davis said following the game. “I accepted a different role on the team following my injury. I knew the girls needed my spirit and faith, so I was cheering for them and encouraging them.

“You always dream of a state championship, but as coach says we shot for the moon and hit the stars. I’m very proud of my teammates and they played especially well today.”

In the last game of the tournament, Lysandra James and Lanser each had a double. Madison Rasmusson, Ehresman, Maria Rasmusson and Haley James had a single apiece.

“Our five seniors are different personalities, but they’ve always found a way to work together. They bring different assists to the table,” Alberts said.

“Lysandra is a very quiet leader, who has been a solid rock in center field for us. She grabs onto the younger kids and pulls them along. Riley is always a positive leader and has played well in right field for us. Riley set a great example for the younger girls as a leader.

“Madison has been a solid figure for us on the mound for so many years. It’s hard to imagine anyone else in that position and off the field she’s a great kid. Shelby kept such a positive attitude after her knee injury. She kept coming to practices and games to cheer the girls on and to encourage them.

“Bayli has been our biggest cheerleader this season. Most kids would’t have stuck out their senior year if they weren’t starting, but Bayli chose to be here for us. She did a nice job coming in to pinch hit positions and had a key role for us in doing that.

“They’re just a great group of kids,” Alberts said.

Alberts said the Hawk softball program will continue to “reload instead of rebuild,” as they work with the youth programs and have strong off-season training. She said they make sure during the season, younger players obtain experience at the varsity level so when its their time, the players flow right into the team.

Marquette Catholic defeated Don Bosco, 5-3, in the seventh-place game Wednesday.

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