(Van Meter) Van Meter came from behind to defeat Exira/EHK/Audubon 9-4 in a Class 2A Region 1 Final on Monday night at Van Meter.
The Bulldogs scored nine runs on seven hits, while the Spartans managed four runs on eight hits. Both teams committed one error.
Ava Hohenadel and Finley Netten were standouts for the Bulldogs at the plate. Netten hit a single and drove in two runs in the fourth inning, then blasted a two-run homer in the sixth. Hohenadel contributed with a single in the second inning and followed it up with a solo homer over the centerfield fence in the fourth. Maddy Schnell added an RBI single, while Bianca Prickett and Marah Karaidos each recorded a single.
The Spartans had strong performances from Riley Miller and Abby Wanser, each contributing two singles. Anna Larsen and Alissa Testroet added to the effort with RBI singles, while Jordan Mulford and Lucy Stanerson provided the remaining two hits for the team.
The Spartans took an early lead, going up 1-0 in the top of the third inning. Mulford executed a perfect bunt and scored on a single by Anna Larsen. The Bulldogs responded in the bottom half of the inning, evening the score at 1-1. Alice Ruggles drew a walk, and Schnell brought her home with a hit.
In the top of the fourth inning, Exira/EHK/Audubon loaded the bases and scored two runs on two hits. Wanser started the scoring with a single, followed by a walk drawn by Zoey Rasmussen. Testroet then hit a single that brought Wanser home. Mulford put the ball in play, resulting in an error that allowed Rasmussen to score, giving the Spartans a 3-1 lead.
However, the Bulldogs rallied in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring four runs on four hits. Hohenadel led off the inning with a solo home run, and Prickett and Karaidos followed with back-to-back singles. An error then allowed two more runs to score, and finally, Netten hit a two-RBI single, putting the Bulldogs ahead 5-3.
Van Meter put the game out of reach in the bottom of the sixth, scoring four runs with one big hit. Finley Netten hit a two-run homer, while Schnell, Prickett, and Wosmanski contributed to the scoring, putting the home team up 9-3. The Spartans managed to score one run in the top of the seventh, but Wosmanski closed the game for the Bulldogs, spoiling any chance of a Spartan late-game comeback.
The Spartans finished the season strong. Coach Petersen says after the Underwood loss on June 23, the team regrouped and got back on track in a big way.
The Spartans finished the season with a record of 16-12. Van Meter heads to Fort Dodge with a 31-2 record. They are the number one seed in the Class 2A state tournament field and play #8-seeded East Marshall (27-9) at 12:15 on Tuesday, July 22.
