Raiderettes return to state

MOUNT AYR — Mount Ayr earned a third trip to the State Softball Tournament in the past four years in defeating West Central Valley, 5-1, in the Class 2A Region 4 championship game Monday night.

Addy Reynolds scored three runs and pitched the victory, backed by a defense with two double plays, and second baseman Halsie Barnes hit her second career home run — both in this year’s regional tournament — for a two-run blast.

The Raiderettes became the third Pride of Iowa Conference school to qualify for state this year. The others were Martensdale-St. Marys and Southeast Warren in Class 1A.

Mount Ayr (17-9) is the eighth seed in Class 2A and meets top-seed Central Springs (31-1) at 3 p.m. Tuesday, July 19 on the Kruger Seeds Field at the Harlan and Hazel Sports Complex in Fort Dodge.

The Raiderettes also qualified for state in 2020, 2019, 1994 and 1982. Experience played a part in Monday’s victory, coach Bret Ruggles said, as his team has played in regional finals five of the past six years. (Last year Mount Ayr lost to I-35 in the regional semifinals.)

West Central Valley (28-9) had its first winning season in 13 years in reaching its first regional final.

“We’ve been to so many regional finals, that I don’t think the nerves get to our girls,” Ruggles said. “After missing out last year, I think they just really wanted to get back this year. Our three seniors — Addy Reynolds, Payten Lambert and Halsie Barnes — really helped us turn things around after we got 10-runned at (state qualifier) Twin Cedars. We may not be the flashiest group, but these kids are mentally tough and they wanted to get it done.”

Early offense

Reynolds doubled to left field in the first inning and scored on Halsie Barnes’ double in the left-center gap for a quick 1-0 lead.

West Central Valley answered with a run in the second inning on two hits and an RBI groundout. But, that was the end of the Wildcats’ attack for the night. Reynolds allowed five hits with five strikeouts and one walk.

“I was just trying to locate and keep them off balance,” Reynolds said. “I was throwing more drop balls and changeups to get easy ground balls for my defense.”

It was a defense that provided two timely double plays, both resulting in outs at first base with throws across to third baseman Zoey Larsen to get a runner trying to advance from second. One of the throws across the diamond was by first baseman Halsie Barnes, and the other was by second baseman Linsie Barnes covering first on a bunt.

“Those were huge plays, because in both cases I think it came after an error,” Ruggles said.

“A regional championship is about who can get those 21 outs the fastest, so the double plays are really big,” Reynolds added.

Mount Ayr took the lead for good in the third inning on Breya Nickle’s RBI double, again scoring Reynolds. In the fourth inning, Linsie Barnes smashed her two-run shot to right field for the 4-1 advantage.

“I remember seeing the center fielder going all the way around to the left side of the outfield and I was thinking, I’m not really a big puller,” Barnes said. “The pitch came a little outside and I thought that’s my pitch!”

State matchup

Ruggles figured after the game that his team would be the eighth seed and draw Central Springs for a first-round opponent. (Tuesday’s winner plays the winner of Van Meter vs. Iowa City Regina at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday on the Iowa Central Field. The losers of those two games meet in consolation play at 1 p.m. Wednesday on Dodger Field.

“I don’t care what the seed it, we knew we’d be the seven or the eight,” Ruggles said. “We’ve been underestimated all year. We’ll go up there and take our shot.”