It was a tough day in Fort Dodge Tuesday as the West Liberty High School softball team ended their dream of a Class 3A Iowa state tournament title Tuesday afternoon, losing 10-0 in six innings to Williamsburg.
The third ranked Lady Raiders, now 32-10, used consistent and timely hitting while pitcher Peyton Driscoll kept the 23-8 Comets off the basepaths, limiting West Liberty to just two hits.
The Comets of coach Chad Libby live to play another day as they will end their season Wednesday, July 21, in an 11 a.m. outing with Esterville Lincoln Central, a 23-9 team that was beaten by second ranked Mount Vernon 7-0 Tuesday afternoon. Mt. Vernon held the seventh ranked ELC team to just three hits.
Despite an opening game bunt single by eighth grader Pearson Hall, the Comets could muster only one other hit in the game, a two-out single by Sailor Hall in the top of the third inning, but could never put together a rally despite getting two runners on the base paths in the sixth inning. Behind 9-0, Pearson Hall got a lead-off walk before Janey Gingerich was hit by a pitch with two outs, the scoring threat ending on a Brooklyn Buysse fly out to left
Williamsburg jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, getting five hits including back-to-back doubles before a ground out to second baseman Ady Bell ended the rally.
Williamsburg padded the lead to 6-0 in the bottom of the second after shutting down the Comets despite a line drive by Isabel Morrison directly at the shortstop. The Lady Raiders used a lead-off double by Shannon Finn, who scored on a ground out to third that was followed by a sacrifice fly for the second run of the frame.
After neither team scored in the third, Williamsburg opened the fourth with a single followed by a sacrifice bunt that was thrown late to second base. A sacrifice fly to Janey Gingerich ended with a run scoring, but she doubled up a runner trying to take third for the final out of the inning. Williamsburg led 7-0 going into the bottom of the fifth when they added two more runs, putting together three singles before a line drive to third baseman Kylie Struck ended the rally.
Despite West Liberty’s desperation efforts to score in the top of the sixth, Williamsburg put the game on ice with another run in the bottom of the inning to take the mercy rule win, 10-0, the game winner a single by Charlotte Wetjen coming with two outs and runners on first and second.
In other opening round action on Monday in Class 3A, top ranked Davenport Assumption beat Clarke 11-1 before fourth ranked Atlantic topped Anamosa 10-2. After Assumption plays Atalantic in the semi-finals on Wednesday afternoon, Mount Vernon will square off against Williamsburg in a 5 p.m. game, the winners playing for the state title on Friday, July 23, beginning at 2:30 p.m.