Power surge

The Creston softball team completed a doubleheader sweep of Denison-Schleswig Friday with a display of power hitting in wins of 10-5 and 11-3.

On Saturday, the Panthers concluded their Hawkeye Ten season with a 9-4 win at Council Bluffs St. Albert, finishing at 17-3 in league play. That’s the same conference record as a year ago as league champion, but this year Clarinda took the crown at 18-2.

On June 27, the first game against Denison-Schleswig was halted by rain with Creston leading 3-2 in the second inning, and two runners on base.

The game was resumed at 4 p.m. Friday. The Monarchs briefly took the lead at 5-4 in the third inning, but Creston dominated the final three innings for the 10-5 win.

The comeback was sparked when center fielder Jersey Foote lifted a low pitch over the fence in left-center for a two-run blast. Right fielder Sasha Wurster added a solo homer in the sixth, followed by Ava Adamson’s RBI double and another run when Foote reached safely on the bunt for a 9-5 lead.

Junior pitcher Taryn Fredrickson, who surpassed 400 career strikeouts in Friday’s appearances, helped her cause with a triple down the right field line that scored Foote with the final run in the 10-5 win.

Fredrickson had 11 strikeouts and added seven more in a three-inning relief appearance of Kennedy Strider in the 11-3 nightcap victory. In that game she drove in three runs on a double and triple.

“I made the adjustment to stand in the back of the box and it really helped me see the pitch, and I just take my hands to it,” Fredrickson said about her string of extra-base hits sprayed to all parts of the field Friday.

“Taryn is swinging it well and getting some hits,” Creston coach Dave Hartman said. “She pitched really well today, and Kennedy gave us exactly what we needed with four innings in that second game. She hung in there and that was good for her.”

Strider allowed only one hit with four strikeouts and scattering five walks in her four-inning start. She also had a hit and RBI at the plate.

Foote was also productive in game two, crushing a two-run bomb high over the trees just past the left field fence. For the day she had three hits and drove in five runs. Just a week earlier she met with coach Hartman after two losses at the Carlisle Classic, searching for answers to regain her stroke.

“Waiting on the ball and getting down more on my swing has helped me not swing as much at bad pitches,” Foote said. “I have been working on not swinging at the high ones.”

“Jersey is a great hitter,” Hartman said. “She just has to remember to fight the other team and not fight herself. When she just has fun and keeps swinging, good things happen.”

Adamson also had a productive day at the top of the lineup while playing shortstop, as Sydney Staver took over the catching duties. Adamson, now batting .459 for the season, went 4-of-8 in the two games with three runs scored and two RBIs. Wurster and Braylee Pokorny each doubled in the second game.

Saturday’s game

Foote and Adamson stayed hot in Saturday’s win at St. Albert. Foote hit two more home runs, giving her four for the weekend and a total of 10 for the season. The junior center fielder moved into a tie for second place with Nevaeh Randall and Haylee LaMasters for homers in a single season, and now stands third all-time with 20 career homers. Foote needs two more to tie LaMasters for second place at 22. (Randall, who now plays for Grand View University, has Creston single-season (21) and career (47) home run records.)

Strider drove in two runs on a double and single. Fredrickson struck out 13 and allowed seven hits in the complete game victory. The Panthers took command early with a six-run second inning.

Adamson had three hits Saturday including a double. She is in fourth place in school history with eight homers this season, one behind Randall in third place, and stands fourth in career homers with 17 as a junior.

Win at Shenandoah

The game rained out at Shenandoah on June 19 was made up Wednesday morning in a 4-0 win, with Fredrickson dominating the Fillies with 10 strikeouts in the two-hitter. Evy Marlin was 2-of-3 including her second home run of the season. Adamson and Sidney Staver each had two hits.

“Taryn was really good and shut them out,” Hartman said. “We played our five-person infield and shut their slap offense down.”

Creston (18-15 overall) closes the regular season at home against Clarke on Tuesday for senior night. The Panthers open regional play at home Thursday against a strong hitting Indianola team.