SULLY — Brenna Lanser and Haley James were looking for more — at least one more game to extend their high school softball careers for Lynnville-Sully. Unfortunately, Montezuma broke open a close Class 1A Region 3 semifinal game with a seven-run outburst in the sixth inning Friday night.
The Bravettes kept the Lynnville-Sully Hawks from having big innings their final two at bats. Montezuma (18-12) walked off the Hawks’ field with a 10-4 win and advanced to the regional final on Monday.
James had two singles in her final game in a Hawk uniform and Lanser, who didn’t have a hit, scored a run and drove in a run. Lanser was the team’s leader in RBIs with 27 and second in runs scored with 25.
The Hawks took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning, but the Bravettes tied it at 2-all with a single run in the second.
Lynnville-Sully and Montezuma split their South Iowa Cedar League games this season.
In the fifth, Montezuma pushed across a go-ahead run then had the seven-run sixth to claim a commanding 10-2 lead. The Bravettes had 13 hits led by Cassidy Watts with two singles and a solo home run.
The Hawks got one run back in their half of the sixth, but could only muster one more run in the seventh. Lynnville-Sully closed out its season at 18-12 overall.
Freshman pitcher Mallory Loftus, who was 13-6 on the season, pitched six innings for the Hawks. She allowed eight runs on 10 hits and three walks. She struck one batter out.
Junior McKinley Conover threw one inning and had one strikeout. Eighth-grader Caitlin Alberts allowed two runs on two hits and one walk in her time in the circle.
Conover was 3-for-3 at the plate with two singles and a double. Sophomore Shiloh Cunningham hit a home run. Sophomore Carson Fisk and freshman Janelle Rozendaal had a single apiece.
Montezuma got a single and a triple each from Maddy McKeag and Makenna Carl. Hanna Jones and Jazmine Lebahn had a double apiece. Hitting a single each were Shelby Helm, Olivia Moretz, Breck Goodman and Kailey Jones.
Hanna Jones was the winning pitcher for the Bravettes. Montezuma hosts Fort Dodge St. Edmond in Monday’s regional championship game. The winner advances to the state tournament.
Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
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or jsheets@newtondailynews.com