Top-ranked Wahlert Catholic too much for PCM in 3A semifinals

FORT DODGE — The PCM softball team’s last three opponents have ranked in the top six in Class 3A in home runs.

But it wasn’t until Wednesday that it mattered on the scoreboard.

Dubuque Wahlert proved its No. 1 ranking against the Mustangs during a 3A semifinal, and the Golden Eagles’ three dingers powered them to a 7-1 win on Channel Seeds Field inside Harlan Rogers Sports Complex.

“They are just a really good team,” PCM head softball coach Shaun Hudnut said. “We watched them on film from multiple games. Their first two hitters are some of the best hitters in any class. Three through nine can hit the ball, too. We knew it was going to be a tough challenge.”

Dubuque Wahlert came into the state tournament with 46 home runs. The Golden Eagles belted three against PCM on Wednesday, and Libby Winters took another one away on a catch that has to be the best defensive play of the tournament so far.

Julia Roth, a University of Iowa recruit, clubbed two homers and drove in four runs at the plate and spun a six-hitter in the circle to lead Wahlert to the championship game.

Roth now has an Iowa-best 24 homers and 161 total bases. Her 64 RBIs rank second in the state and first in 3A, too.

But the Golden Eagles cranked out 17 hits in all. No. 7 hitter Hayley Lang finished with four hits, No. 8 hitter Natalie Ruba slugged a two-run homer in the fifth and UNI recruit Kylie Sieverding added three hits, one walk and one run.

“We had to hit spots and keep it on the edges,” Hudnut said about his pitchers. “We did well for the most part, but when we missed they got us. They also hit some good pitches.”

Class 3A No. 6 PCM (26-5) reached the state semifinals for the first time in program history. The Mustangs led the game after Kyra Naeve’s two-out RBI infield single in the third made it 1-0.

But PCM stranded two runners on base in the first and third innings and left them loaded in the second. Roth (17-5) allowed two hits and hit one batter the rest of the way.

“We knew we’d have to score today, and we had multiple opportunities to score in the early innings,” Hudnut said. “We just didn’t capitalize on those. They came back to haunt us later in the game. To get two, three or even four runs in those innings would have been big for us.”

Addison Steenhoek walked with one out in the first and Winters singled to put two runners on base. The inning ended when courtesy runner Ryan DeVore was thrown out at third base.

The ball appeared to be bobbled by the Wahlert third basemen, but DeVore was called out anyway after a brief conference by the umpires.

Camden Webb drew her team-leading 14th walk to lead off the second. Naeve followed with a bunt single and Tori Lindsay was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

The inning ended after a ball hit by Steenhoek was caught near the fence in left field.

Winters laced a double to open the third. She went to third on a sacrifice bunt from Humpal and eventually scored on Naeve’s two-out RBI single.

Winters started the state tournament 6-for-6, and her incredible catch in center field in the third took runs off the board for Wahlert Catholic.

She finished with two hits, one double and one run for the Mustangs, while Naeve also had two hits and one RBI. Winters leads PCM with 15 doubles and 41 runs.

“Through two games, (Winters) has done everything she can to prove she’s one of the best players in Class 3A,” Hudnut said. “She’s a fantastic center fielder. That play where she robbed the home run is such a huge play. If that’s not the play of the tournament, I don’t know what is. It was an unreal catch.”

Steenhoek singled with two outs in the fourth but was thrown out at second trying to stretch it to a double.

After a 1-2-3 fifth, Webb was hit by a pitch in the sixth and Addison Hudnut reached on a fielder’s choice. Lindsay opened the seventh with a hard single to left field.

Steenhoek finished with one hit and one walk, Lindsay singled and was hit by a pitch and Webb walked once and was hit by a pitch on a 3-0 count. Hadley Millang also walked with one out in the third.

Rylee Parsons got the start in the circle for PCM and took the loss after allowing four earned runs on 10 hits and one walk in 3 2/3 innings.

Winters tossed the final 2 1/3 innings and surrendered three earned runs on seven hits with one strikeout.

The Mustangs led 1-0 through three, but the Golden Eagles plated four in the fourth and three in the fifth.

Roth belted a three-run homer in the fourth and then snuck one inside the fair pole in left field for her 24th dinger in the fifth.

The loss drops PCM to the third-place game against fifth-ranked Albia at 1 p.m. on Friday. That game will be played on Iowa Central Field.

The Lady Dees (29-4) lost 9-1 to No. 2 and defending champion Williamsburg in the other semifinal game.

Wahlert (37-7) and Williamsburg (35-7) square off for the 3A championship at 2:30 p.m. on Friday.

“We’re disappointed, but we’ve gone farther than we’ve ever gone and made it to the semifinals,” Hudnut said. “We need to step back tonight and know that that is a big accomplishment. I like that we don’t have to rush back and play tomorrow. We get a day off but will get a practice in and come back and play the best we can on Friday.”

Notes: Lindsay was hit by a pitch for a school-record 17th time this summer. … PCM’s 26 wins are the most for the program since at least 2008-09. … Wahlert now leads 3A with 49 homers. Missouri Valley clubbed 29 this summer and West Liberty hit 25. … The top three batters in Dubuque Wahlert’s lineup are NCAA Division I-bound. Lead-off hitter Ruth Tauber will join teammate Sieverding at UNI but was 0-for-4 with one run on Wednesday.