PCM softball moves closer to another HOIAC title

MONROE — Grand View Christian scored first, but the Mustangs dominated once it took the lead in the bottom of the first inning during an 11-1 home win over the Thunder on Friday.

The PCM softball team led 3-1 after one and ended the Heart of Iowa Athletic Conference game after four innings thanks in part to four runs in the third and three in the fourth.

The Mustangs improved to 12-0 in the conference. They have four HOIAC games remaining and lead Roland-Story by three games in the loss column. One more win and a Lady Norse loss would give PCM its second straight conference title.

Six Mustangs had at least one hit and Libby Winters led the way with three hits. Lillian Humpal, Hadley Millang and Kyra Naeve all had two hits.

Winters doubled, scored three runs and stole one base. She leads the Class 3A No. 3 Mustangs (15-2) with 24 runs, 41 total bases and 19 steals.

Humpal homered, scored three runs, had two RBIs and stole one base, Millang laced two doubles, scored one run and had one RBI and Naeve tripled, scored one run, totaled three RBIs and was hit by one pitch.

It was Humpal’s third homer of the season and Millang now leads the Mustangs with 20 RBIs.

Tori Lindsay doubled and had one RBI, Addi Hudnut posted one hit and one RBI, Camden Webb walked once and scored two runs, Addison Steenhoek was hit by a pitch and Peyton Lathrum scored one run.

Rylee Parsons (9-1) earned the win in the circle. She allowed one earned run on two hits and one walk. She fanned three in four innings and lowered her earned run average to 1.83.

The Mustangs out-hit Grand View Christian 11-2 and PCM committed one error. PCM’s 12 errors in 17 games is the fewest in 3A.

PCM is 6-1 against Grand View Christian (14-5, 8-4 in the conference) since 2017 and have won four straight in the series.

PCM 8, Greene County 2

MONROE — The Mustangs faced another small deficit in the top of the second inning but a three-run third and a two-run fourth helped PCM rally for an 8-2 home win over Greene County on Wednesday.

The HOIAC game was moved up a few hours to beat inclement weather, and PCM scored its 11th straight win in the series. The Mustangs are now 21-12 against the Rams since 2009.

Millang had three hits, one double, one run and three RBIs, Steenhoek added two hits, one double, one run and one RBI and Winters posted two hits, two runs, two RBIs and two steals.

Steenhoek leads PCM with eight doubles and Winters is batting a team-best .536 with a .552 on-base percentage.

Naeve also finished with two hits and added one RBI, Lindsay doubled and scored two runs and Humpal and Holly Wood walked once and scored one run. Webb walked once and drove in one run and Ryan DeVore stole one base.

Webb (7-1) got the win in the circle after allowing two earned runs on five hits and one walk. She fanned 10 in seven innings.

Webb’s ERA is now 1.54 and she’s struck out 74 batters in 59 innings.

Makenna Ebersole led Greene County (8-9, 7-7) with a solo home run. The Rams were plagued by four errors.

PCM 4, East Marshall 2

LE GRAND — A four-run sixth inning powered the Mustangs to a come-from-behind win over 2A No. 15 East Marshall on Tuesday.

Both teams had six hits and one error, and the host Mustangs led 2-0 through five, but PCM rallied for a 4-2 non-conference victory.

Millang’s two-run homer in the four-run sixth gave PCM the lead for good. Lindsay and Winters both doubled in the frame to tie the game.

The Mustangs, who scored their fourth straight win over East Marshall, had more doubles (3) than singles (2) in the win.

Webb had two hits, including one double, and Lindsay doubled, had one RBI and scored one run in the sixth and Winters doubled, had one RBI and scored one run in the sixth and added a stolen base.

Naeve contributed one hit and DeVore walked once and scored one run.

Parsons started but lasted just one inning after allowing one earned run on one hit and three walks.

Webb spun six innings of relief and got the win after surrendering one earned run on six hits, one walk and one hit batter and she fanned seven.

Parsons walked the first two batters she faced in the second and then was pulled for Webb, who hit the first batter she faced to load the bases with no outs.

Webb struck out the next three batters though to end the threat.

Peyton Grabenbauer had two hits and one hit to lead East Marshall (14-6) at the plate and was the winning pitcher. Vaeda Bryan walked twice and Gianna Boswell scored two runs.

Gilbert 4, PCM 1

GILBERT — The Mustangs dropped a non-conference game to Gilbert for the second straight season after the host Tigers scored twice in the fifth to crack the scoreboard and then plated two more in the sixth to close out a 4-1 victory.

PCM leads Gilbert 16-10 since 2009, but the Tigers are 7-1 in the series since 2018.

The Mustangs were out-hit 9-7 and Gilbert (11-7) committed two errors, but PCM stranded five girls on second and third base with less than two outs.

Winters led PCM with two hits and one double. Humpal doubled and had one RBI and the other hits were collected by Lindsay, Steenhoek, Naeve and Hudnut.

Parsons started in the circle and took the loss after allowing two earned runs on five hits with one strikeout in five innings.

Webb surrendered two earned runs on four hits with one strikeout in one inning.

Clara Newton hit a solo home run at the plate and spun seven innings for the pitching win to lead the Tigers.