Oskaloosa Softball Heading Back To Fort Dodge

The 2016 Oskaloosa Indians softball team will play for a state title next week in Fort Dodge.

For the second time in three years, the Oskaloosa Indians softball team will vie for the state 4A title.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – The Oskaloosa Indians softball team has bounced back from a slump at the end of the regular season, and they have their sights set on nothing less than a championship.

With the team recovering from some injuries on and off the field and the roster once again back in place, Coach Jay Harms has nothing but praise for his team as they prepare to take on Perry (24-12) at 7:30 pm in Fort Dodge in the first round.

All-State pitcher Alexis Groet was in her second game back after sustaining a concussion, and Harms thought she threw “really well.”

Getting out to the early lead added to the pressure on the visitors, says Harms, “It was huge for us.”

Senior Kylee Silliman set the tone early for the Oskaloosa bats with a ringing double.

“I can’t say enough about these kids. Great group,” says Harms.

The goals the team set for itself included winning 20 games, winning a conference and making it back to states. Harms says the team hasn’t yet met all of its goals, and “we want to get into that championship bracket. That’s the only thing we have left.”

The team is having fun and playing well.

Groet, who spoke with Oskaloosa News after the game, was all smiles off the field, just as when she was pitching.

She said that she has learned to pitch with what her body allows her to do, and by the end of the game, she’s pitching harder and faster. “I wasn’t getting tired, I was getting more energized.”

A scary moment for the Indians came in the final innings, when Groet appeared to be in pain and limping. She then started to laugh because she had pitched into her kneecap, which is something she says hasn’t happened in high school. “Always a first time for everything.”

Groet came out with a little fire in her pitching after hitting her own knee, and quickly put Mount Pleasant away to seal the victory and the District 5 Championship for the team.

Only eight teams in Class 4A make it to the state tournament every year, and the team’s last appearance earned it a 5th-place finish.