Championship bracket competition resumes at the state high school softball tournament in Fort Dodge on Thursday with the semifinal round in all five classes. In class 1A, third ranked Martensdale-St. Marys will take on tenth rated Charter Oak-Ute.
This is the fifth straight year that Martensdale-St. Marys has reached the semifinal round but the Blue Devils are still in search of their first title.
Martensdale-St. Marys coach Todd Verwers says they have a lot to contend with as their baseball team has won titles, “Five times in a row that’s great, but until you have the one big trophy, it’s not good enough.” The Blue Devils will be out to snap a three game losing streak in semifinal round games but Verwers says pressure is not an issue.
“These girls have been in big games since they were in 7th and 8th grade,” Verwers says. He says they’ve been to the state tournament in other sports and they have been bless to have good athletes.
Charter Oak-Ute is 28-12 and upset fourth ranked Newell-Fonda 4-3 in the quarterfinal round.
Right fielder Ashley Goslar drove in the winning run against Newell-Fonda with a single in the top of the seventh and says the Bobcats are thrilled with the chance to play in the semifinals. “This is the biggest deal ever, like, I’m so excited, I’m like I’m nervous already, but I think we can take it all the way for sure,” Goslar says.
Second ranked Earlham will play sixth ranked Don Bosco in the other 1A semifinal. Earlham senior catcher Amy Wright says the Cardinals are motivated by last year’s first round loss to eventual champion Akron-Westfield. “We got beat and we know what it felt like and we didn’t want the feeling again.”
Wright was a freshman third baseman on the 2009 Earlham team that won the state championship. She would like to end her high school career in the same manner. “I remember that dogpile at home plate, I remember that vividly, I dream about that every day,” Wright said.
Don Bosco scores three runs in the bottom of the sixth to rally by Mason City Newman in the opening round. The Dons are in the semifinals for the first time since the 2000 season.