FORT DODGE — The Van Meter softball team saw its season come to an end on Wednesday, July 22. After a win in an early game to stay alive in the Iowa high school state softball tournament, the Bulldogs could not keep their winning streak alive and dropped their elimination game that afternoon.
Here’s a look at how both games played out on Wednesday for Van Meter.
Game 1: Van Meter 7, Albia 2
A timely home run from Jillian Wosmansky sparked Van Meter’s 7-2 victory over Albia during Class 3A action at the Iowa state softball tournament on Wednesday, July 22.
Wosmansky belted a three-run bomb over the fence in left-center field during the top of the third inning to give the Bulldogs a 4-2 lead. They held on from there to keep their season alive and advance to a Wednesday afternoon elimination game.
Aniston Netten drilled a two-run homer herself in the top of the seventh inning to ice the game. It was Netten’s second homer against Albia this week, also going yard during Van Meter’s 10-2 win over the Lady Dees in the opening round on July 20.
Wosmansky was the winning pitcher after 3 2/3 innings of relief work where she did not give up any hits or runs while posting two strikeouts. Netten gave up two earned runs on three hits with two walks and a strikeout in 3 1/3 innings as the Bulldog starter.
Marah Karaidos finished 2-for-2 with one run and an RBI, while Mady Schnell was 2-for-3 with a run for Van Meter on offense.
Game 2: Wahlert Catholic 13, Van Meter 3
Van Meter’s run at a third-consecutive state championship came up short after the Bulldogs suffered their second loss at the hands of No. 2 Wahlert Catholic in the IGHSAU state softball tournament on July 22 in Fort Dodge.
The Bulldogs fell, 13-3, in four innings due to the 10-run mercy rule. They also suffered a 7-2 loss to Wahlert Catholic on July 21, finishing the tournament at 2-2, with both wins coming against Albia.
Van Meter hung tough early. A two-run Netten homer helped Van Meter take an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
But then Wahlert Catholic scored 13 unanswered runs, powered by a seven-run third inning.
Natalie Ruba and Iowa commit Julia Roth were simply too much for Van Meter. They combined to go 5-for-5 at the plate with two home runs and eight RBIs.
Ruba was 2-for-2 with a double, homer and five RBIs. She was also the winning pitcher after allowing three earned runs on three hits and two walks with one strikeout in four innings.
Roth finished 3-for-3 with two doubles and her 19th home run of the season. She ended the game with three runs and RBIs apiece.
Wahlert Catholic will take a 38-6 record into the 3A championship game.
Van Meter finished the season at 34-8. Along with Netten’s homer, Karaidos was 1-for-2 with an RBI, Ashlan Small singled and Schnell scored one run for the Bulldogs in the rematch with Wahlert. Womansky took the loss after allowing six runs on eight hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Van Meter’s state tournament run ends with loss to Wahlert Catholic
Reporting by Joe Randleman, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Joe Randleman, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
