(Fort Dodge) Jada Jensen drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning, and Atlantic advanced to the Class 3A semifinals with a 10-9 win over Anamosa at Harlan Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge on Monday.
The Trojans notched their 16th -straight victory, extended the single-season wins record to 34, and earned the first quarterfinal win in the program’s 49-year history.
“The seniors decided that losing wasn’t going to be an option, and I guess they were right,” said Atlantic Head Coach Terry Hinzmann. “It was a battle all the way through. We faced a really good pitcher, and I thought we did a nice job getting the bat on the ball.”
The Trojans scored 10 runs on seven hits. Olivia Engler picked up the win in the circle for Atlantic, allowing nine runs (four earned) on ten hits and fourteen strikeouts. Emily Watters took the loss for Anamosa. The sophomore struck out 17 Trojan hitters and gave up ten walks.
“I’m proud of our hitters with the way they waited and allowed Watters to get into some trouble,” said Hinzmann. “After she tired, we got some pitches late in the game that we were able to put in play.”
The Blue Devils jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Emily Watters landed on third base on an error and scored on Lexi Bright’s RBI single. The Trojans took advantage of five walks in the bottom of the fourth inning scoring three runs on one hit, and the ebbs and flows of the game began.
Anamosa grabbed the lead back in the top of the fifth with three runs; Atlantic responded with another run in the bottom of the sixth to the game at 4-4. Then it was Anamosa’s turn in the top of the seventh. Maya Ludwig blasted a single, and Savanna Venenga drove her home to give the Blue Devils a 5-4 lead going into the Trojan’s side of the seventh inning. Lauren Nicholas plated the tying run sending the game into extras (5-5).
The tug of war continued in the ninth inning. Anamosa came through with a run in the top of the frame, and again the Trojans dug in and responded with a run on their side of the ninth to tie the game at (6-6), thanks to Nicholas’ single and Woodward’s game-tying RBI base knock.
The tenth inning went scoreless, but the drama ramped up again in the top of the eleventh. Emily Watters stroked a two-out RBI single, and Bright drilled a two-RBI base hit to give Anamosa a 9-6 cushion.
But Atlantic wasn’t daunted with the three-run deficit. They loaded the bases and thrilled the
Trojan faithful with four runs to seal the 10-9 victory. Senior Alyssa Derby sparked the rally with a bases-loaded two-RBI single, Botos plated the tying run, and Jada Jensen, the athletic third baseman for the Trojans, stepped up and ripped a walk-off single to keep Atlantic in the hunt and a berth in the Class 3A State Semi-finals.
Jensen and Woodward led the Trojans with two singles, and Derby, Nicholas, and Rush accounted for the three other Trojan hits.
Atlantic will square off against Davenport, Assumption, on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. on Krugar Field.
We will have the broadcast on 95.7 FM and audio streaming on westerniowatoday.com-KS95.7 FM.
