March 19, 2024

CMB softball claims fifth-place trophy

Raiders end season with pair of victories against Atlantic, Mount Vernon

Image 1 of 2

FORT DODGE — Players from Collins-Maxwell/Baxter softball team were still thinking about Wednesday’s 8-5 loss to third-ranked Solon when they stepped back onto the field for Thursday’s two consolation games.

The Raiders were unhappy with how they played against the defending champions but also were eager to showed they belonged in the Iowa High School State Softball Championships.

Playing on a scorching hot day at Dodger Field, Class 3A No. 14 seed CMB proved its worth, downing No. 15 Atlantic in the consolation opener and then finished the tournament with another win over fifth-ranked Mount Vernon.

Junior Megan Ritter belted a three-run double in the second inning to give the Raiders an early lead against Atlantic (27-16) and junior Abbey Kahler twirled a seven-hitter during the 3-0 win.

The Raiders jumped out to another quick lead in the fifth-place game, and eighth-grader Mikayla Houge finished off Mount Vernon in the circle during a 6-1, six-inning triumph.

CMB’s historic season ended with a school-record 27 wins and a fifth-place state tournament trophy.

“This is the first time we have been able to end the season with a win,” CMB coach Troy Houge said. “You get to go home on a high note, and we get to add to our school-record win total.

“We could have easily folded it up after yesterday’s loss, but they continued to fight. We are now the fifth-best team in the state. That’s a pretty cool thing. There is nothing to hang our heads about.”

Thursday was all about redemption for the Raiders.

Ritter got redemption from a early error in the opener against Solon when she drove in all three runs in the win over Atlantic. She also scored twice and made several key catches in center field against a Mount Vernon team which came into the week with 29 wins.

“Yesterday’s loss was tough, but we wanted to do the best we could here,” Ritter said after the win over Atlantic. “We want to go 2-1, so we are trying to redeem ourselves after the loss.”

Kahler got redemption, too. She lasted just two innings and took the loss in Wednesday’s game against Solon but bounced back to deliver a shutout against the Trojans. She struck out four and walked none in improving to 14-5 on the season.

“It feels great. Yesterday I didn’t do very good, so I wanted to come out here and do better than yesterday, which I think I did. I am happy,” Kahler said. “I am pretty hard on myself anyway, so it was hard to come back today and play, but after a few strikeouts it felt good.”

The Raiders had seven hits against Atlantic. Ritter’s bases-loaded, three-run double was the big one, but Houge and sophomore Jordynn Wesselink each had two hits.

Wesselink, Houge and eighth-grader Holly Jessen scored one run each.

“Getting that lead took the pressure off,” Ritter said. “We were able to just relax and have some fun.”

CMB came back a few hours after the win over Atlantic and put it on Mount Vernon early.

The Raiders (27-9) took advantage of a pair of Mustang errors in the first inning and jumped out to a 2-0 lead.

In the second inning, CMB sent 10 batters to the plate and scored six runs to finalize the game’s scoring.

The Raiders were thrown out at home on two straight fielder’s choice ground balls, but senior Payge Jurgens collected a two-run single and junior Mikayla Eslinger delivered an RBI double to make it 5-1. Houge then walked with the bases loaded to plate another run.

“I am glad we went out on a win. I am still not happy about how yesterday ended, but I have to be happy to leave here with a fifth-place trophy. I can’t be too disappointed,” said Jurgens, who is the only senior in CMB’s starting lineup. “It justifies that we are just as good as the other teams. We probably weren’t picked to do well by many, but we didn’t go 1-2 or 0-3.”

Eslinger reached on an error in the first, doubled in the second and singled in the fourth to reach base three times.

“The loss (to Solon) gave us some motivation to come back and show what kind of team we are and how well we can play,” Eslinger said. “I think we wanted to show everyone how much better we were than we showed yesterday, and we did that.”

Freshman Hannah Caple also reached base three times, hitting a single in the first and fourth and walking in the second. Ritter walked in the first, singled in the second and doubled in the fifth, too.

“Megan came back today and had a huge day,” Coach Houge said. “She felt bad yesterday for the one error, but she was phenomenal today. I was glad to see her come back. That shows what this team is about. They are a tough team. They are resilient.”

The Raiders committed three errors in the field, had nine hits at the plate and allowed 11 hits in the circle against Solon in the opener. In the two consolation games, CMB had just one error, cranked out 14 hits and surrendered only 12 hits combined.

Houge (13-3) earned the win in the circle against Mount Vernon. She allowed one earned run on five hits and struck out four and walked two.

“We looked like ourselves today. We had good pitching in the circle in both games, timely hitting and we played great defense,” Coach Houge said.

Now that CMB has a taste of what the state tournament is about, the Raiders want to return to Fort Dodge in 2017.

“We have everyone coming back, so I expect us to be able to get back here,” Coach Houge said. “Next year, the goal has to be to finish higher than fifth. Our expectations will have to get higher, but right now, we’ll just celebrate the season and having fun going out with two wins.”

Atlantic defeated unranked Estherville-Lincoln Central, 6-3, in the seventh-place game.

Solon lost to No. 2 Davenport Assumption on a walk-off three-run home run so the Spartans will play No. 11 Boyden Hull-Rock Valley for third on Friday. Top-ranked Benton Community and Assumption meet in Friday’s championship game.