SOLON — The Lady Spartans entered the postseason ranked 11th in Class 3A by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) and battled a tough West Delaware team and blew by Monticello to face No. 3-ranked Wahlert Catholic Tuesday, July 11 in Dubuque (after this edition had gone to press) in a Regional Final with a trip to Fort Dodge and the 2023 State Tournament on the line.
Solon 4 West Delaware 3
The Hawks swept the Lady Spartans 8-7 and 10-7 in Manchester on June 26 and battled Solon in a 12-inning Semifinal game in Solon Thursday, July 6.
Izzy Frees walked home as Solon loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning. The Hawks equalized in the top of the second before Frees smacked a two-run homer in the bottom of the second for a 3-1 lead. West Delaware scored two in the fourth to tie the game again and kicking off an eight-inning stalemate. McKenna Rogers and Frees got on base in the bottom of the fourth while the Hawks stranded two in the fifth. Claire LaDage nailed a double in the seventh and had Addison Walter take her place as a courtesy runner. Mia Stahle attempted to score in the ninth but was pronounced dead on arrival at home plate. In the eleventh, Frees doubled with one out, Addie Miller singled, and LaDage walked (with two outs) to load the bases but were unable to capitalize.
Maddyn “Mad Dog” Gates stepped out of the circle in the top of the 12th inning and was relieved by Kendall Jensen who navigated loaded bases and one out. The Hawks nearly scored but their runner was shot down at home plate. Jensen led off for Solon in the bottom of the inning and took a full count to first base and had Keegan Kleppe step in as a courtesy runner. Kleppe stole second, made it to third, and finally scampered across the plate for the game winning run.
Frees led at the plate with four hits and two RBIs, Miller produced two hits while Stahle, LaDage, Jensen, and Rogers had one hit apiece with an RBI for Gates and Kayla Meseck. Gates gave up ten hits and three earned runs through 11-1/3 innings walking two and striking out six while Jensen gave up one hit and walked one. Solon improved to 23-13 overall while West Delaware ended the season at 16-23.
Solon 11 Monticello 1
The Panthers brought a 19-14 record into the semifinals Saturday, July 8. The Lady Spartans plated two runners in the bottom of the first as Izzy Frees and Hilary Wilson singled, and Addie Miller nailed an RBI double (scoring Frees). Maddyn Gates was hit by a pitch to load up the bases, Wilson was gunned down at home plate as Kendall Jensen singled, and Miller scored as Claire LaDage walked. The Panthers’ scored one in the top of the second inning.
Wilson got her revenge with a double scoring Mia Stahle in the second inning, Jensen tripled in the third and came home on a Gates double for a 4-1 lead before her courtesy runner, Keegan Kleppe, came home on a sacrifice bunt by Kassidy Lietz made it 5-1. Monticello changed pitchers but McKenna Rogers, running for Lietz, scored as Stahle made it to second base on an error, and Frees hammered a two-run homer for an 8-1 advantage.
Frees scored on a passed ball making it 9-1 in the bottom of the sixth before Gates doubled and Jensen singled to set the table for the winning runs under the ten-run mercy rule.
Frees, Wilson, and Gates produced three hits each, Jensen and Lietz had two apiece while Stahle, Miller, and Kayla Meseck had one hit each. Frees and Lietz drove in two runs each with one RBI for Stahle, Wilson, Miller, Gates, Jensen, and LaDage. Jensen went the distance in the circle giving up three hits and one unearned run, walking one, and striking out five.
“The girls came out with a lot of confidence, Kendall pitched a heck-of-a-game, we had very good defense, we had a great approach at the plate for five of the six innings; we were just very disciplined and when we got our pitch, we attacked it,” said Head Coach Brad Holub. “Some of the girls it was the first pitch, others really made the pitchers work. They went through three pitchers and when that happens, good things are happening for us.”
2023 Iowa Girls State Softball Tournament dates and times
Monday, July 17 – 3A First Round, 7:00 p.m. (Kruger Seeds Field) and 7:30 p.m. (Iowa Central Field)
Tuesday, July 18 – 3A First Round, 11:00 a.m. (Kruger) and 11:30 a.m. (Iowa Central)
Tuesday, July 18 – 3A Consolation, 3:00 p.m. (Dodger Field)
Wednesday, July 19 – 3A Consolation, 11:00 a.m. (Dodger)
Wednesday, July 19 – 3A Semifinals, 3:00 p.m. (Kruger), 3:30 p.m. (Iowa Central)
Friday, July 21 – 3A Third Place, 1:00 p.m. (Iowa Central)
Friday, July 21 – 3A Championship, 2:30 p.m. (Kruger)
Mia Stahle (10) collides with West Delaware’s Vedah Langel on her way to second base Thursday, July 6 at home against West Delaware in a 12-inning Class 3A Regional Quarterfinal battle. The Lady Spartans outlasted the Hawks 4-3 to advance.