(Fort Dodge) The Atlantic girls’ softball team heads to Fort Dodge on Monday to compete in the Class 3A State Softball Tournament. The Trojans drew the fourth seed in the tourney, and they will match up against Anamosa, the fifth seed in the quarterfinals, on Monday at 7:30 p.m.
Atlantic is making its third state tournament appearance in the program’s history, which began in 1972. The Trojans enter the contest riding a fifteen-game winning streak with an overall record of 33-5. The Blue Raiders are 32-9.
Atlantic Head Coach Terry Hinzmann says when the final field is whittled down to eight teams, they will be facing a high level of competition. The game features two outstanding pitchers with Olivia Engler of Atlantic and Emily Watters of Anamosa. Watters is 21-6, sports an ERA of .086, allowing 31 runs on 70 hits, 331 strikeouts, 31 walks, and five hit batters.
Hinzmann says obviously the game’s going to boil down to pitching, hitting, and defense.
Atlantic pitcher Olivia Engler is 22-5, with an ERA of 1.22. Thus far, the senior has allowed 52 runs on 109 hits, 255 strikeouts, 34 walks, and five hit-batters.
Offensively the Trojans are hitting .365 as a team. Four Trojan batters are hitting over .400. Alyssa Derby, (.459), Madison Botos, (.425), Jada Jensen, (.408), and Olivia Engler, (.402).
Anamosa brings a team batting average of .321 to the plate on Monday. Grace Lubben leads the team with a (.529) batting average, and Watters is hitting (.504).
Both teams hit with power with 23 home runs each. The Atlantic hitters have drilled 80 doubles and 14 triples. Anamosa has 62 doubles and nine triples.
We will have the broadcast on 95.7 FM and audi0 streamed on westerniowatoday.com, station KS95.7 FM. The pre-game starts at around 7:10, and the first pitch is slated to start at 7:30 p.m.