Lenox seeks first state berth tonight

MOUNT AYR — Lenox hosts West Harrison at 7 p.m. today in a surprising development to determine the Class 1A Region 8 qualifier for next week’s state softball tournament.

While the Tigers, 21-11, were winning in easy fashion over Bedford Saturday — 13-0 in three innings — West Harrison was upsetting No. 7-ranked Westwood on the other half of the bracket, 2-1.

So, instead of the expected regional final played in Sloan, Lenox was awarded the home game on the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union’s second criteria for regional final hosting: better record against common opponents. The Tigers defeated both Guthrie Center and Fremont-Mills, while West Harrison, 17-12, went 1-1 against those teams.

The Tigers last hosted a regional final in 2002, losing to Underwood. Other regional final losses were in 2003 and 2008.

Coach Tom Shields said his team is capable of earning that first state berth in tonight’s matchup.

“We just have to keep doing what we’re doing,” said Shields, whose team has a 13-game winning streak. “I know West Harrison has a solid pitcher-catcher combo, both seniors and two of their leading hitters. The pitcher (Kylee Glennie) has over 200 strikeouts and only 12 walks. We’ve been getting good hitting up and down the lineup and we’ll need that again Monday.”

Friday’s game went perfectly for the Tigers, Shields said, after Bedford opened with its only hit.

After Bedford’s Fallyn Beemer fouled off seven of Bethany Christensen’s pitches to start the game, she poked a single to left-center field. She would end up being the Bulldogs’ only baserunner.

Lenox answered in the bottom of the first with five runs on five hits. Jacy Stoaks drew a walk and was sacrificed to second by Christensen. Shantelle Brown then roped a double, followed by singles from Emily Powell and Morgan Parrish.

The big blow of the inning was a two-run double over the left field by Hannah Bennett.

“We’ll take that kind of start any day,” Shields said. “I told the girls we needed to come out patient and put the ball in play like we did the first time we played them (15-5 win on June 9). I felt that we got too anxious in the (June 30) game we played down there, when we won 4-0.”

After Christensen set down the Bulldogs in order in the second, Lenox produced an eight-run inning that included six hits and a Bedford error. Brooke Miller drove in two runs with a single, and Stoaks’ two-RBI hit made it 12-0. Christensen’s line drive past second base chased Stoaks home with the 13th run.

In the top of the third, Beemer again had several fouls in a long at-bat, but was set down this time as Christensen finished with four strikeouts and no walks in the one-hit victory. Lenox had no errors.

It was Christensen’s 11th consecutive winning start. She was supported by the Tigers’ 11-hit attack, with eight of the nine batters having at least one hit.

Christensen, Powell and Parrish had two hits each. Stoaks, Bennett and Miller each drove in two runs. Stoaks, Brown, Parrish and Jessica Anderson each scored two runs.

Bedford closes the season at 10-18. Seniors appearing in their final game were Beemer, pitcher Rachel Armstrong and McKenzie Jackson.

Lenox 13, Bedford 0

R H E

Bedford 000 — 0 1 1

Lenox 58x — 13 11 0

B: Rachel Armstrong 0L 2BB 1HBP and Hannah O’Dell. L: Bethany Christensen 4K 0BB and Shantelle Brown. W — Christensen (17-5). L— Armstrong (9-16). HR — none. 3B — none. 2B — L: Christensen, Hannah Bennett, Brown. RBI — L: Bennett 3, Jacy Stoaks 2, Brooke Miller 2, Christensen 1, Teya Still 1, Brown 1, Emily Powell 1. Multiple hitters — L: Christensen 2, Powell 2, Morgan Parrish 2.