(Guthrie Center, IA) – The AC/GC Chargers were able to start off postseason softball coverage with a ballgame to remember. AC/GC was able to dish the game into eight innings, and on two overthrows, earned the 4-3 win to beat West Central Valley.
Scoring started in the first inning of action after West Central Valley left a runner stranded to end the top of the first inning. AC/GC put the first knock on the scoreboard after Reagan Carney earned a walk that was followed by a hit by Emerson Van Meter that led to an overthrow and gave Carney good positioning at third to then rush home and score the lone run on the scoreboard for a 1-0 lead at the end of the first inning.
At the top of the second inning, the Wildcats started off with a walk to put Lillian Gilbert on the bases with no outs. After Speichinger hit into a groundout to advance Gilbert to second, it was up to pitcher Grace Bleckwehl who hit a single and put runners at the corners. Anna Byrnes then went on to hit a sac fly to score Gilbert from third and tie the ballgame at 1-1 heading into the bottom of the second. ACGC would leave a runner stranded to finish the bottom of the second after Becca Littler walked and the Wildcats retired the side.
Neither team would go on to score until the top of the sixth inning. In that frame, West Central Valley would leave two runners on base while AC/GC left six batters stranded with two singles from Mersadez Richter while Jenna Rowley also earned one through the frame.
West Central Valley would finally bring a lead change to the game after Meleah Speichinger hit a single to mark the first of the series for her against AC/GC and started a little rally. After Bleckwehl was able to reach on an error, that put runners on first and second with no outs. Once again Anna Brynes came up to the plate and came in clutch with a deep single to score both Speichinger and Bleckwehl to gain the lead 3-1 advantage going into the bottom of the sixth as ACGC left runners stranded to head to the seventh inning.
In the top of the seventh, the Wildcats looked like they were starting to brew up another rally, but fell flat after leaving two runners stranded to head to the bottom of the seventh. The Chargers finally answered back in the seventh inning of action that started with a walk from Mersedez Richter that was followed up by a Reagan Carney single to put runners on first and second with no outs. Emerson Van Meter hit an infield fly for the first out that led to Belle Fagan at the plate. The left fielder hit a single to score Richter and eventually pulled in Carney to tie the ballgame at 3-3 to head into extra innings. ACGC Head Coach Eric Van Meter described this key situation in the ballgame.
Speaking of Caydence Boals, the sophomore was able to pull in a crucial at-bat for AC/GC in the bottom of the eighth inning after coming in off the bench to go to the plate. Without her plate discipline and key hit, the game may have been a different story.
As we are on the topic of the eighth inning, West Central Valley started off some extra softball with a three-up-three-down inning that left it all up to Boals and the Chargers. After Paige Van Meter earned a crucial walk and advanced on a passed ball, she was in the perfect scoring position for Caydence Boals. The sophomore made contact with a hit over to third that was overthrown to first baseman Macy Long, allowing Van Meter to round third and watch another overthrow to home to win the ballgame 4-3 and head to the next round of postseason play.
This season was one for the books for ACGC softball as one of the most successful teams in the school’s history. At just a few points throughout this program’s history, AC/GC has been above .500, which has not happened since the 2021 season for the Chargers. With the Chargers continuing to fight back in just about every game, these girls have shown it all through both thick and thin with an impressive season as they prepare to take on Van Meter.
AC/GC will move on in postseason play to face off against #1 Van Meter this Wednesday, July 10th while West Central Valley finishes off their season with a 15-18 overall record.
(Click below to listen to this article)
