NM Girls End Season in Dramatic Fashion
by RD Keep
SIGOURNEY – If a crew from ESPN had been at Schafer Field in Sigourney Friday, the clash between North Mahaska and the host Savages would have been an instant classic. The game was a battle between NM senior hurler Madison McKay and eighth-grade upstart Carly Goodwin. It took 10 innings before Sigourney squeaked a ball past the North Mahaska infield and later scored the winning run on a flyout for the 1-0 victory in the Class 1A Regional semifinal.
The 10th inning was reflective of what occurred throughout the game. In North Mahaska’s half of the inning eighth grader Cali Sampson singled and sophomore Caitlin Sanders walked then Goodwin delivered up three flyballs that did not allow the runners to advance.
Sigourney’s eighth-grade catcher Kaylee Weber slipped a hard-hit grounder between NM third baseman Morgan Hudson and the base that found its way toward the left field corner for a double. Eighth grader Macie Fisch was hit by a low pitch and Madi Richard drew a walk to load the bases. Sophomore Courtney Hemsley drilled a shot to centerfield that was caught by sophomore Jalayna Shipley who fired it into the infield to catcher Regan Grewe, but Weber touched the base to end the game
The faces of McKay and Shipley showed it all. Shipley had tears streaming down her rain-drenched face While McKay walked off the field with her coach Ashley Schroeder with a smile and tears knowing she had finished her career.
“I am proud of the girls,” said Schroeder. “They played the best defense of the season tonight. They (Sigourney) were able to get the hit when they needed it.”
North Mahaska (18-11) had at least one runner on base in all but three innings. The best chance to score was in the top of the fourth when junior Zoe Deucore walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Freshman Colby Sampson hit a ball into left-centerfield and Schroeder gave Deucore the green light toward home, but Deucore’s shortstop counterpart took the relay and made a solid throw home and Weber made a swipe tag of the sliding, fleet-footed Deucore.
“They made the perfect play when they needed it in the fourth,” said Schroeder. These two teams are young and will meet again. I can’t say enough about how proud I am of the way they played this year. We’re young, but with the exception of one game our losses came to very good teams.”
North Mahaska outhit the Savages 5-2. McKay extended her single season strikeout record to 174 with four Friday. She walked two and hit a batter. Through the first four innings McKay saw her defense catch flyballs and throw out Sigourney runners before yielding a hit in the ninth.
Sigourney did have one baserunner early when Darby Mitchell reached base on a third-strike ball that got away from Grewe. McKay ended that threat fielding two ground ball outs.
Grewe and Colby Sampson each hit two singles. Cali Sampson had the other hit.
Goodwin finished the night with12 strikeouts and four walks.
Sigourney (24-8), ranked 10th in Class 1A, will host fellow South Iowa Cedar League foe Belle Plaine (17-17) for a state berth on Monday at Schafer Field beginning at 7 p.m. Belle Plaine advanced with a 2-1 upset of No. 5 Lynnville-Sully. The regional final four guarantees the SICL will have a representative at the state tournament.
