Class 3A — Williamsburg vs. Wahlert Catholic

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A beautiful, cool afternoon in Fort Dodge at Rogers Sports Complex, the last day of the 2026 softball season here for the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union, trophies were given away last night in the two way to Grandview Christian for a. To ADM in one a just a few minutes ago. Clarksville goes back to back here at the Harlan and Hazel Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge, Iowa, which is where it is. Another beautiful day and another rematch. This time it's Dubuque Wahlert, the two seed and the one seed at Williamsburg Raiders. Hello everybody! Alongside Laura Leonard. I'm Paul Yeager glad to have you here on this. Now Friday afternoon. Wahlert and Williamsburg. It seems familiar. We've done this one before. These are two great programs. Let's talk about Wahlert first here. Laura. Why are they back in the title game?

They've got a lot of seniors. They've got a lot of experience and they have the determination to be able to get over the hump. Team motto is next step. They want to take that next step to be the the state tournament champs.

And for Williamsburg, there's a couple of names that are the same, but there's some new faces and some same old, same old. They hit the ball and that extremely well. Again about the Wahlert Golden Eagles. They are in their fifth straight trip to state. Julia Roth and she's a big deal because she has a record.

Yeah she sure does. The career home run record. That's a pretty big feat. That has 74 total and has had quite a career, obviously. And she has also can do it in the circle. But how about Ruth Tauber? She is a player that can just do a little bit of everything, can ignite this team to get over the hump.

A couple of five year starters for the Golden Eagles and for Williamsburg again, seventh straight trip to state seven times. They've been in at least the semifinals going for four. It's never been done.

And that's going to be a huge feat for them. If they can do that, they just seem to reload each and every year. You change those names. They're going to be right back here at the state tournament. Each and every year. They've got a lot of tradition in this program.

Taylor Sanchez a game winning home run earlier this week. Jersey Metz will see her in the circle again under these cloudy skies, 77 degrees. The wind is out of the south southeast at ten miles an hour. Here, as the weather stations right across the road from where we are at at the Fort Dodge Airport. And you see some fans are still making their way in, and we are getting ready for the introductions. We're going to meet the reserves and the starters, and then we're going to play some softball. Let's go up to our public address. Announcer Tim Fitzpatrick.

Welcome to Rogers Sports Complex and Channel Field for this three a state championship game. Featuring from Dubuque, the Wahlert Catholic Golden Eagles and the Williamsburg Raiders.

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It's time to meet the teams. Let's start with our visitors from Wahlert Catholic. Here are your Nonstarters number one Kael Murphy. Number six Kiara Flanagan. Number seven Kiley Sieverding. Number nine Quinn Mattil. Number ten Madeleine Moroney.

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Number 11. Leah Roling. Number 12. Abby Roling and number 21. Zoey Knepper. Your assistant coaches. Mark Rako Alex Jeffrey and Katie Hayes. Now here's your starting lineup for the Golden Eagles from Wahlert Catholic leading off the designated player number 14 Julia Roth. Batting second in center field. Number 17 Ruth Tauber batting third, playing third base. Number four Addie Klein, clean up hitter for the Golden Eagles at second base. Number three Sadie Schultz, batting fifth at shortstop. Number 24 Natalie Ruba batting six at first base. Number 18 Hayley Lang batting seven, doing the catching. Number 23 Lilly Oberhoffer in batting, eighth in right field. Number 16 Claire Brosius and batting in the ninth position in left field. Number two Ari McClimon and your pitcher the flex player. Number 13 Camryn Theisen. Head coach for the Golden Eagles. Tyler Lang. And now let's meet the home team, the Williamsburg Raiders. Here are your Nonstarters number one Keston Spratt. Number three Tenley Sanchez. Number five Aubree Messer. Number seven Cora Foster. Number eight Harper Winegarden. Number ten Maggie Jensen. Number 13 Kaylin Becker. Number 19 Sophia Stratton 21. Layla Doehrmann and 22 Braylee Plotz your assistant coaches. Jenna Thurm Elle Ridgeway Gwen Mews Shannon Finn and Aly Gorsh. Now here's your starting lineup for the Raiders of Williamsburg leading off playing center field. Number 12, Ava Hooker batting second at shortstop. Number 15 Kiley Allen batting third, playing second base. Number two Taylor Sanchez clean up hitter for the Raiders in left field. Number 11 Harper Meyers batting fifth, doing the pitching. Number 17 Jersey Metz batting seventh in at first base. Number four Makenna Capper. Excuse me, that was batting six, batting seventh in right field. Number six Maddie Gorsh batting eighth. The designated player. Number 18. Jordyn Skaggs batting in the ninth position. The catcher. Number 16, Lilly Ness. And your flex player at third base. Number nine. Clarissa Suhr head coach for the Raiders. Adam. C Berti. And now, fans, please turn your attention to the home plate area. The umpires assigned to this contest by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union at first base. Buck McWhirter at third base. Brett White and calling the balls and strikes today, Mister Ed Oliver. All right, who's ready to win a state championship?

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Williamsburg is known for their deep, well-rounded offense. They're the top three in almost every hitting category in the class, but they're going to go on defense first, and they're pretty good. They're Harper Meyers Ava Hocker Maddie Gorsh left to right. Sanchez, Metz and Ness in the middle with Kiley, Allen and Makenna Capper on the corners and or Suhr at the corners. And Kiley Allen is at short. But let's talk about the combo of Ness and Jersey Metz. Laura Leonard.

Yeah, really good combo. These two work very well together, and Metz has a lot of pitches that she can throw. She's just been steady her entire career. She can move the ball around and hit all of the corners.

24 and four on the year. Her ERA is a one six, four over 158 innings pitched. She's walked 32 but struck out 117, and she is going to face a lineup for the Wahlert Golden Eagles, which can hit the ball, but they are missing one of their key players from last year. But let's meet the ones they have this year. Julia Roth is going to be the pitcher Ruth Tauber in center. Addison Klein at third. Sadie Schultz Natalie Ruba Hayley Lang. The catcher is Libby Oberhoffer Claire Brosius and Ari McClimon round out positions eight and nine. Laura Keys to this contest for you. What do you see?

Well, for Wahlert Catholic, what they need to do is be disciplined at the plate, take a few pitches, see what Metz is throwing and hone in on it and drive it and rely on their senior leadership. Rely on that experience. And for Williamsburg play clean defense. You can't afford those errors and then just focus on them. Don't worry about who the opponent is. Do what you do best.

Well, the focus is the class three, a state championship game just after 5:00 on July the 24th time of game is 510 time in the first hit, the exact same second Roth takes the first pitch, lines it into left field for a double.

How about being aggressive going after that first pitch, getting a pitch that she likes drives it out into the gap in left center field, all the way to the fence, and extends it into a double.

They don't even get the time to tell you much about Julia Roth and how good she is. She'll be pitching here after the Eagles go down batting, but they don't go down quietly. It gets tougher with Ruth Tauber, the center fielder bats and look at her numbers. They are impressive. Five, 87, 74 hits, 60 runs and Roth. She's the home run leader. We didn't even get to show you her numbers. They're so impressive.

Well, the top to bottom, this is a good lineup and power and speed. And they just know how to connect.

Tauber heading to the University of Northern Iowa. There you just saw Roth, who's headed to Iowa. So you've got 380 connecting there. Future college plans. But right now, while they're still wearing Wahlert uniforms, they want to change the script from last year. And it's three balls and no strikes.

I think maybe shaken up a little bit with the quick start that Wahlert has gotten.

And that's a strike. Metz, who has been the pitcher of record last year and this year in the state championship game, had the win last year.

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The three one. Lifted in the infield Metz underneath it moves about three inches to her left towards first on a hard ball to field, but she makes it look easy out number one.

Yeah, that was a high pop fly able to camp underneath that. But Tauber took a ball. Should have taken that to the right side. Gone with that pitch, tried to pull it or try to take it to center field and just popped it straight up into the infield.

First pitch to Addison Klein hitting in the three spot.

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And try to move this runner over to third base. So again, a quality at bat trying to get the ball to the right side of the field to advance that runner.

The zero one to Klein is up and in for a strike. Zero two now goes Metz. Klein, a 325 hitter not normally known for speed around the bases. She just has a great bat. Let's see what she does on zero two. She watches that pitch go out of the zone.

And that ball. We could see it had a lot of spin. She's trying to turn it over. Took a little something off of that and just fell out of the zone.

Metz checks the wrist for the pitch call, which comes from the dugout. The one two. That one goes high.

Metz will show you the rise ball. A drop ball curve. Change, but she makes adjustments during the game. However, the game is flowing. She will make those adjustments. Each batter situations.

The two two in the dirt. Ness scoops that one out and the count goes full.

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Three balls.

Two strikes.

Ness also looks for the pitch call so she knows what's coming and what to throw down. The three two. Lifted high but out of play over the camera well near the bullpen. Don't worry. Hold on. I got to get something in because I didn't clean something up last game. No need for our EIC Kevin Rivers to go check that out. No camera was hurt right there. Kevin, you're keep doing what you're doing. Keeping this broadcast online. The three two coming from Metz here in the first. And that misses. So it's two aboard here with one out.

Still trying to figure out the strike zone of Ed Oliver behind the plate. Been working that outside corner. Have not gotten the call. Just need. And this is where she needs to make those adjustments. Just move it in just enough to get the outer part of the plate to get those calls.

Change up. Starts out with a strike to Sadie Schultz, who's playing second today. The senior part of this great senior class that Laura talked about in our open, a 336 hitter, 30 runs batted in and 25 runs herself.

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That's hit towards center. It's gonna be in and out of the glove of Hocker. And Lang is waving home. And then stopping is Roth.

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She goes back to third. The ball goes into left field, but Roth had her head down. She was kind of in a tough spot, couldn't pop up and good hustle by Myers to save that from being an out Hocker laid all out for it there in center Roth was running and then she was stopped by Lang and then Ness throws a bullet back to her third base. Suhr.

She was halfway up the third base line and put on the brakes. And I think if they would have made that initial throw, she would have tried to come in and score, but they ran her back and now they're loaded.

Wrote third Klein at second Schultz at first.

Little bit of paint on there.

A couple of two. A couple of hits here in the top of the first of this three, a final. Hit in the air towards hooker. Back towards the wall. She looks up at it as it crosses the fence. It's a grand slam. The Golden Eagles fly high here in the first.

Well they have come with some determination here today in this ball game to get a huge lead to start this game. Natalie Ruba just drills this to center field. As they look up and hooker sees it fly into the center field seats.

Natalie Ruba the big fly. And the next pitch is grounded to Allen, who throws across to Capper for the out.

Good job by Capper to scoop that one out and avert any more disaster that could happen here in this inning, but they're going after. They're attacking at the plate. They are going after pitches and driving them.

For nothing. Wahlert Catholic leads Williamsburg at first pitch to Lilly Oberhoffer, the catcher is in there for a strike. 16 hits on the season for Lilly. Ground ball to Allen at short across again to Capper for the out, but a big first inning for the Golden Eagles. They strike first with four on a grand Slam by Natalie Ruba, with Williamsburg coming up. So the Golden Eagles will go out on defense with the following lineup Brosius, Tauber and McClimon right to left. Lang at first. Schultz at second. Third is Addison Klein on the shortstop is Natalie Ruba. Lilly. Oberhoffer who will put the shin guards on after grounding out and she'll catch Julia Roth, who's in the circle, and Roth led off the game with a double and now she's going to lead things off pitching. What does she bring to the table?

Well, she brings a variety of pitches and is able to hit locations very well. We'll see a little spin with some of her pitches, but she is sneaky good.

Sneaky her. There's not much sneaky good on her. She's just fantastically good. But that's so tough to pitch against this lineup. She's going to have to be sneaky in a couple of things. Hocker Allen Sanchez with Harper Meyers in the cleanup spot. Jersey Metz Makenna Capper. Then it's Gorsh Skaggs and the catcher Ness to round out that lineup for coach Adam. Siebert. And Aaron Gerlach is delivering the home run ball to Natalie Ruba family.

Had a chance to bump into her mom, who just took that home run ball after they won to advance to the finals. And I looked at her and she was wiping away tears. She was so happy that they advanced to the finals again and just so proud of what her daughter has done.

Hooker tries to bunt herself on and she does.

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Hooker some of the best speed in the state of Iowa. And here's what she can do. Gets it past the pitcher.

Just by half a step. But that's how you start an inning after you've given up a big number, you got to put runners on base.

Kiley Allen, the shortstop.

Good Bunter. She can lay one down. You might see her do it here. They can start making them up one by one.

Oh, and that's going to hit. Did that hit her? It did. So Kiley Allen is going to be on base on a hit by pitch. Hooker goes to second. Hooker was off with the pitch. And that one just kind of got up into the ooh that didn't I think that didn't I think that missed her guard and maybe hit right below the elbow.

Laura didn't really flinch. She wore it and yeah, literally and seems to be okay.

So now it's Taylor Sanchez hits it high in the air and does exactly what Tauber did in the first half and pop it up in the infield. One of the best hitters looking to have a big fly, and Sanchez is out on the first pitch from Roth.

Well, both these teams coming out swinging the bats and being aggressive.

Harper Meyers.

Maybe a little too aggressive and wanting to crunch one, maybe wanted to make that up in one swing. Got underneath that and sent it straight up the pipe.

And that's going to be off the glove and into right field. And hooker is going to round. First throw comes into home. It's off the mark. It's fielded by the pitcher. Hooker scores on a single to single by Harper Meyers for one as Williamsburg cuts into the lead.

Good piece of hitting as you go to the right side of the field and just underneath the glove of Schultz out into right field, the throw comes all the way through. As you see hooker slide in and that allows Myers to move up to second. So now they're just exchanging positions. Still two runners in scoring position.

Where have we seen that before? With Williamsburg it seems like it's something they do each and every year.

It's just how they play. They're aggressive. They're aggressive on the base paths. They get the key hit, they take advantage.

And there's a liner back to the shortstop, Ruba, who had the Grand slam, now makes a great grand play at short for out number two. So it's up to Makenna Capper. Two away here in the first one. Run in already. Hooker has scored. Alan's down at third. Capper, a 363 hitter.

Really looking for that clutch hit to get a little bit closer. But you wouldn't be disappointed with only getting one run here. You get one of them back in the first inning. You can continue to chip away and it's going to give you confidence knowing that you were able to come in that first inning and get some solid contact against Roth.

And I think they have so far. That seems to be what's going on. I think we're set for a darn good match up here. The one one is in there for a strike. I you know, I didn't 100% know how the one a game would play out, but I really thought 3A5A we were going to see a whole lot of hitting. And this one hasn't disappointed here as we're only in the bottom of the first and five runs have already scored. Swinging and missing is Capper. The Raiders leave a pair, but Williamsburg scores a run to cut into this lead four one and Williamsburg had to use part of the new format of this tournament. The Iowa Girls State State High school softball tournament.

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This year, the girls state softball tournament adopted a hybrid double elimination format leading up to the title game in round one, eight teams play in round two. The winners from round one play each other, while the losers do the same. Round three sees the loser between the round two winners play the winner of the round one. Losers who battled it out in round two in round four. The winner of the round two's winning teams takes on the winner of round three, but if the round two winner loses and both teams have one loss, the same teams play again in round five to determine who goes to the class title game. However, if they win, round five is not necessary and they automatically advance to the championship where the winner takes all.

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And we did have that play out in an interesting way here, because look at Williamsburg on the top. They actually lost to Mount Vernon, had to turn around and beat him twice to get into the championship game. Whereas Wahlert they beat West Delaware, Van Meter and and Van Meter again. So some teams had to play each other twice, some three times. But here's how we end up in this double elimination tournament.

Yeah. And I there's been a lot of conversation of do we like it? Do we not like it? But you've got to give it a try. I think there's a lot of opportunity, and I think a lot of learning from what this tournament has brought here to Fort Dodge. And I think, you know what, for the most part, I think the consensus is everybody likes it.

Everybody knows what the rules are. As McClimon stands in for a first pitch ball delivered from Metz. It is a format that everybody knew the rules going into the season that. Yes, your first loss in the state tournament could come in the championship game, and Edco already.

They experienced.

That, experienced it.

Yeah, they went through their bracket clean and got straight to the championship game without a loss.

The two zero bounces away from Ness as Metz throws that one a little bit low. She was trying to keep her. She was trying to keep Brosius from getting a bunt on.

That's why we put that mask on there.

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Always some good conversation back and forth between the home plate umpire and the catcher's. We all work together very well.

The three zero is bunted back to Metz who gloves and can't get it out of her glove underhand. It ends up in right field, but Maddie Gorsh playing great right field and backup prevents that from bad becoming worse.

I think Metz first of all had trouble getting it out of her glove and wasn't sure if she wanted to underhand or overhand it over to first, and it came a little. Helium balls skied over the top of Capper over there. At first.

Ari McClimon swings and misses. How many times have you seen it? It sometimes happens in baseball because it's a little easier for the baseball to get stuck in the webbing of the glove, where the pitcher might turn around and throw the glove and just toss it to the first base person. Not quite there, but it was close.

Oh, good. Stop by Ness just smothered that one. Keeping Brosius over there at first.

Ness supporters all around for her ground ball foul. Lily's grandma had a chance to see you right.

Before the game. Work with her. Called on her office when I was when I was working years ago. And she also let me know that it's Nessa's mom's birthday today.

So really.

She would like to give her mom a little birthday present.

Well, she blocks that one going down to second and getting there is Brosius and again the ball ping pongs around into center field. Hooker comes in on the stolen base. So McClimon now with. A chance to add to this four one lead with a runner in scoring position. The two two for Metz swung and missed. McClimon is out on strikes. That's the first strikeout of the game for Jersey Metz.

Just pulls the string on this one. Offspeed and just waves over the top of it as that one just kind of fell off the table.

So it's back to the top of the order. Julia Roth the career home run leader in the state of Iowa.

I remember last year when we talked to her, she said, I just try to keep it simple at the plate. I see the ball, I hit the ball and then she does. Obviously it's been very simplified for her and when you bring it down to that level and just relax at the plate, you can do big things. And she has.

Well, huge opportunity to do more big things. She's ahead in the count. Two balls and no strikes. The runner at second and one out here in the top of the second. The pitch from Jersey Metz is outside for a ball three and oh.

You have to be very careful with these hitters, especially at the top of the lineup. You want to make sure that you're hitting the corners, not giving them anything really good to hit.

That one's in the dirt. So you would have had needed a nine iron to get that one.

That's birdie going to go out and talk to everybody. Bring the infield in.

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Want the ball here.

Put on the gas foot on the gas right now. Don't run into the tag here. Boyd. Make you make a decision. Okay. All right. Let's go. Come on. Come on.

[LAUGHTER]

Keep your head up.

[LAUGHTER]

Let's go.

Adam! Birdie. We'll talk to him later in the contest. He's no stranger to this final. Being in the final the last three years in a row.

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And we are now going to see Ruth Tauber bat with two on and one out. Pitch is low.

Big chance to be able to get that run back and add to that lead, pad it a little bit.

The pitch is up and out. To Tauber, who flied out back in the first.

Metz having a little trouble finding the zone right now.

That pitch is a strike.

That's one of the things with these hitters. They came out aggressive in the first inning, so you might shy away a little bit, but you've got to come after these hitters, make sure you're getting ahead in the count.

The two one to Tauber is another strike. Metz did not pitch in game four.

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That Williamsburg had against Mount Vernon, but she did pitch. The next game or no, she didn't pitch in that one either.

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And she is the lone senior on this team. So we talked about the fact that this is a team that's trying for a little history to win four in a row, with only one senior on the team. They're set up. Tauber sorry to make a huge run.

Tauber skies. It to Allen, who then throws back in behind to try to sneak in at Brosius. And there's two away.

Two. Twice they've been able to get her to hit those big fly balls.

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Pitcher.

And we are going to have a runner. And it is four Dubuque Wahlert. Kaylee Murphy.

Number one courtesy for the pitcher.

They're going to use that courtesy runner with two outs here.

Guess I got to come over here and do this. Number one courtesy for the pitcher.

As they radio up above to tell us what we just told you. We just happen to be really close and can hear the umpire. Courtesy runner. It's our advantage. We get to hear things first pitch lifted into right and to left. That's going to be a base hit and allow another Wahlert runner to score. And it's five one. Addison Klein delivers with two outs here in the second.

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A solid base hit right out of the reach. You can see that sure jumps just over her glove and then a little trouble by Myers picking that one up in left field. Otherwise there might have been a play at the plate.

Sadie Schultz singled in her first time at the plate and was on base for the Grand Slam. As Natalie Ruba waits on deck, who hit that grand slam? Two on, two out. Change up. Foul! Off to the left side. And Metz ahead. Nothing in two.

That's what you need to do. You got to get ahead in the count. And this inning she's had a little trouble doing that.

Schultz flinched. She thought about that one as it sailed out of the zone. Good job holding up.

And it did. It just dropped off the table. That one is one where you think, boy, I can get down there and get that and barrel it up. But she held off.

Metz is one. Two is hit into right off the glove of Capper into right field, and another run is going to score and it's a single for Schultz or it's a hit for Schultz in play and it's now six one Golden Eagles.

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Going opposite field with this pitch. Just off the glove of Capper boy, she stretched out as far as she could.

She could. She did? Yes.

Couldn't pull it in.

And that's well hit. That is headed high. That is far. That is gone. A three run homer back to back. Natalie Ruba.

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Well, how about that. Quite a state tournament game for Natalie Ruba. Back to back home runs in her two plate appearances. No doubt about that one. She went after that first pitch and got it all. And I'm going to say I'm going to be Captain Obvious here. But she's seeing the ball well.

That one's hit into left field short hops the outside fence of the park and the Golden Eagles flock together there at home for the second time around Ruba, I was talking to a couple of Wahlert fans. There's Natalie Ruba mom. She's about to get another delivery.

Down here.

On the home run, and this is going to be a pitching change for Williamsburg as they are going to now go to Kaylin Becker. The junior coming into the tournament. This is her 20th appearance over 50 innings or 49 innings, and William Byrd, coach Berti makes the changes there with our plate umpire.

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Here lately.

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And coach had seen nine runs score. And this game is has a different feel to it now.

It really does. And you got to make that change right here.

13 is in.

For this team. Pitch in. Wahlert has decided. That they are going to get out as far in front as they possibly can. This is going to. Be their state title, and they're going to make Williamsburg chase them.

She will pitch.

There's a look at Aaron Gerlach going. She knows the path to the Ruba.

Championship game defense.

I keep saying at the moment they will never forget. Congratulations.

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Plate number 13 Camryn Theisen.

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So now another good moment there for the Eagles Kaylin Becker. The junior usually splits games. She does have the best era and right now they need to stop the bleeding. As the first pitch to Hayley Lang is a strike.

You can't.

So we just got a note passed to us that we were told that it is Natalie Ruba birthday today. Happy birthday Natalie.

Happy birthday Natalie. The one one is a changeup hit towards left. Coming over as the speedy hooker to make the grab, but not before who? Another big inning for Wahlert as they. Had another great inning and this year is a special year because there could be a significant numbered fan. A one millionth fan could punch their ticket to the gate here at the Harlan Rogers Sports Complex, and it's been here since 1970. Eric Pratt, who I had a chance to bump elbows with earlier this week from the Fort Dodge Messenger. He's been tracking 56 years of attendance, and they've all seen some memorable games. That fan you saw had Fort Dodge gear on, and Andy Adams's squad was here for the Dodgers. Saint Ed's was here, so a couple of extra fans, maybe they were one of the one millionth, but we haven't yet received. We'll ask Aaron Gerlach about that later today. How if they have that one millionth identified. Yeah, yeah.

And I you know, this has always been well attended up here in Fort Dodge. And there you go. You get a look at Natalie Ruba and what a tournament game she's having and a special day in many ways, not only the two home runs, but celebrating a birthday in a big way.

That one celebrated the actual day of birth not that long ago.

[LAUGHTER]

We just showed.

Maybe that's the one millionth fan that has come through. How about that?

And you now, child, have to come to every state tournament the rest of your life like you're coming to the state fair or something.

I don't think that little one would mind at all with this atmosphere that they have here in Fort Dodge.

Maddie Gorsh fouls the first pitch away off of Julia Roth. Change up or just enough off of it that looked a little bit different out of the hand. Didn't do that traditional change, but it certainly looked off the hand. And that's one thing Coach Brady talks about with his players. He says we've got great pitch recognition. We really identify. We see the ball, we hit the ball. We talk about it over and over again and they're trying to that one they see sail out of the zone to Gorsh and now it's a ball and two strikes.

Well, they do a lot of things right at Williamsburg obviously with the three state titles looking for four here. They've got a big hill to climb to get back into this one. But this is a team that and a program that just as they continue to graduate players, they continue to bring in quality players. And they know the system. They know what they need to do. And Coach Berti has done a tremendous job with this program.

Two two Skyed on the infield and underneath it is Ruba for the first out.

Natalie Ruba with the catch out. Number one.

Williamsburg needs to try to get on top of some of those pitches, level them out instead of that big uppercut getting on the bottom half of the ball, popping it up, trying to get something leveled and drive it.

That one skied to the right and fouling out of play.

Kaylin Becker.

All right, we are have a camera crew that's trying to hop when that ball. I tell you a story about that in a minute. Here the pitch talking to one of the fans yesterday from Wapsie Valley, who I've known for a long time, and he was saying we were standing right there behind the first, the camera over the first base dugout, and he goes, does your camera people, do they wear armor or something? If they were there in a dangerous spot? And I said, oh no, no, they're fine, they're fine. I say that now as the ball hits the camera.

They're good. They're they're agile out there.

Oh, look at that. Yeah, we're we're moving, we're grooving.

Yeah. They know, they know if a ball is screaming at them. They know enough to get out of the way. They do such great work.

There we go. There we go. Thank you. Camera operators again. Fouled out of play as we have them. There's the first base camera operator. And then boy there's a lot of balls going to that section. We just had a home run ball. That one you have to give back though. You don't get to keep that one. Foul balls have to come back. The home runs can stay.

But I think he gets a treat ticket. That's the concession stand or a sucker.

The two one is back up the middle to Roth and shovels it over to first and.

[MUSIC]

For the out is made of Kaylin Becker, who now is batting. For Skaggs.

[APPLAUSE]

Two away here in the second. One zero is fouled right over his head.

Yeah. First time today. I flinched.

[LAUGHTER]

He was writing in my scorebook and I looked up and then all of a sudden. Good thing they put that netting up.

That's right. The one one coming from Roth hit high in the air to right. But back there is Brosius takes a couple of steps back and makes the grab and Williamsburg goes one, two, three in their half of the second inning.

Two.

Nine one is our score here.

[APPLAUSE]

Take an adventure with Iowa PBS on road trip, Iowa. Join our friend Brooke Kohlsdorf as we travel the state's history looking at highways and byways. Culture, natural beauty and history all along the way. Road trip Iowa Mondays at 9 p.m., Saturdays at 9 a.m. Or stream online anytime. You also see Brooke Kohlsdorf on Market to Market this.

Week.

Thanks to the crew back at the station in Johnston to keep our programing happening here. We're in Fort Dodge and we're still looking at the new pitcher for. Williamsburg and Kaylin Becker, the junior here. She's coming into a tough spot. What is she kind of need to do, Laura, now that she starts an inning fresh?

Well, first you got to first thing, get that first out of the inning. That will give you some confidence. And everybody can kind of take that deep breath and get refocused. But you've got to have some clean innings. Don't want to give up any more runs. No more base runners. I know it's easier said than done against this lineup because it's kind of murderer's row, top to bottom, and they've come out swinging. But just be careful with your pitches, be selective with your pitches, make sure you're hitting your spots and try to keep the hitters off balance.

It's Oberhoffer, Brosius and McClimon two up for. The Golden Eagles from Wahlert. Backs up into a strike. Wahlert fans are an eye on us and an eye on state baseball, as both of their teams are playing in the state Championship, not just on the same day, the exact same time the oh one. And right now assumption leads Wahlert three. Nothing and assumption. I was kind of joking actually, with Chris Andringa, our stats person who sits to our left. We were discussing, we were we were setting up a little bit about Williamsburg and it's been Williamsburg. And they play teams twice, first in the championship, first it's Mount Vernon, then it was assumption swap out a parochial school for Wahlert and that's who they played twice in a row. Now here for the three, a title popped up on the infield coming over as the third base person Suhr to make the to grab. And there's one away.

[MUSIC] [APPLAUSE]

Catch by Clarissa Suhr.

So they got that first out of the inning. Now you just get down to business. Try to get out of this inning clean.

That one's hit into center. Hooker again made it way closer than it should have been. It's off her glove. It's going to be a double. And she is slow to get.

Up.

She came down hard. I think she came down on the ball as she was diving. She made another effort early in the first inning and the ball just glances off her glove. And I think she does land on it right there.

Oh, right in the midsection.

That does hurt.

That's the type of thing in football that takes your wind out of you.

Yeah, she's taking some deep breaths out there and she has been so good in center field. And you can see the speed that she has covering ground, the effort that she gives diving for the ball.

Hooker is known at the state track meet running 400 400 hurdles.

And I wanted to ask her, why would you choose that event? That is such a hard event. That's, you know, that's a once around the track having to jump over things that are in your way. And she does it really, really well.

[MUSIC]

She wants to run track in college, loves softball, but thinks that she wants to pursue college track and field. And I think she will do just fine.

Runner up in the 400 hurdles last year. Finished second in the open 400 on Thursday. Her time in the 400 hurdles was a minute 0.46. I never could run a 400 in less than a minute, and she's doing it with hurdles.

It's just amazing to me that that athletes

Can do that event and do it that quickly.

McClimon digs in two balls, two strikes. That pitch from Becker is out and the count goes full one out here in the third. Wahlert four in the first, five in the second. Looking to add to it here in the third.

[MUSIC]

Ground ball left side Suhr across to Capper and

[APPLAUSE]

it's the second out.

Hard hit

[LAUGHTER]

again, but the quick hands and the quick movement of Suhr across the diamond to get the out. Get him their second out, hoping to strand that runner at second.

Nine one. Wahlert Catholic in the lead. Nine runs on eight hits, two of them. Big, big flies from Natalie Ruba. Who's going for the cycle of home runs? She has a grand slam and a three run.

[APPLAUSE]

Looking for a solo shot and a two run shot.

Is a two run shot. Yeah, that's the new. That's the new cycle. That's called the Golden Cycle. That's what we're we're going to name that. Becker is two zero coming. Hit high in the air by Roth. She's going to get in the home run club. That one is going to go over the center field stands home run for the home run leader in Iowa. And another one to her record total.

Boy, talk about some power behind

[APPLAUSE]

that one.

[APPLAUSE]

That didn't only clear the center field

[LAUGHTER]

fence.

[LAUGHTER]

It cleared the bleachers behind the center

[APPLAUSE]

field fence.

It hit the tree out there that darn near hit the parking lot.

, and all hooker can do is run back to the fence and watch it hit.

That tree. Did you see the tree flicker in the back? I missed it on in

[APPLAUSE]

live.

That is some power.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE] [LAUGHTER]

Roth hit her 75th back on July 1st

[APPLAUSE] [LAUGHTER]

.

[APPLAUSE] [LAUGHTER]

And against Vanmeter she hit a home run. Earlier this

[LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE]

week.

So she entered the tournament with 74. Is that right?

And then that was 75 or 75 was against Van Meter. That would have been 76.

So. So impressive. What she's been able to do. Number four, in the entire state, all classes in home runs this year.

Tauber bats here, two in already here. The one two.

[MUSIC]

That's

[APPLAUSE]

out.

Tauber has had a pretty good tournament herself. Struggled here in this ball game. But coming into this championship game six for nine with one home run.

[APPLAUSE]

Base hit up the middle and Tauber continues the damage for the Golden Eagles.

[APPLAUSE]

That'll bring up third baseman Annie Klein.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]

I'm still thinking about Ruth's home run and Tauber. That piece of hitting there by her to fight off a couple of pitches. She reaches base for the first time and it's Addison Klein so there is one player missing for Wahlert that was in this lineup last year that should have been in here, but a knee injury ended her basketball season and her softball season.

Kiley Sieverding is a player that.

Klein hits it high to end the inning, and I knew I shouldn't have started a story like that with two outs, but Sieverding, her knee injury as we get another presentation, as they're trying to find where to go with that ball. Ejei and oh, it looks like Ruth's mom came right there to her on the ground.

A keepsake at the moment they will never forget. Congratulations.

So that's three home run balls for Wahlert. Two of them to the Ruba now one of them to the Tauber family.

IGHSAU.

And here is a look at Roth. Not only can she hit, she can spin.

Yeah, she sure can. And just the way it comes out of her hand, she gets a good spin on it, gets some power drives it moves the ball around. Change of speed. She's done a really great job here against a potent lineup and Williamsburg.

Williamsburg center fielder

[APPLAUSE]

Hocker.

[APPLAUSE]

Top of the order for Williamsburg. Hocker tries to bunt her way on again. It hits her as this is only the second time through the lineup.

[APPLAUSE]

Here in the third and we've already had some Eagles up three times. It's kind of the day it's been for Williamsburg, but if anybody is going to make this thing interesting and keep some drama, I wouldn't go anywhere. It's going to be Williamsburg. They have the bats, Laura, but how do you score? Last I checked, there's no ten run home run unless I miss something.

You just have to start putting runners on base. You got to find a way to get on base. And we saw hooker try to bunt her way on. And could not get the bunt down because she could have done that. She get the speed on, could steal a base.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]

But that's what they need to do. They just need base runners. And when you get in a ball game like this, where you have to try to overcome this huge lead, that's all you can do. Figure out ways to make the defense, make a play, put it in

[APPLAUSE]

play.

[APPLAUSE]

Tough to do when you go after a pitch like that rice ball right up in the eyes. Tough to lay off of.

And the rice ball is going to be a story we talk about with some pitchers and even hooker. She's fast, but not that fast. Kiley Allen calls for time, steps out.

[APPLAUSE] [LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE] [LAUGHTER]

To.

On the ground towards Ruba. Across the diamond.

[APPLAUSE]

Out to.

[APPLAUSE]

Good solid contact, but just right at a defender. Ruba right there, sliding over and Coach Berti,

[APPLAUSE]

frustrated. Knowing that his team's got to start rallying here and. It's tough to do when a team like Wahlert Catholic has all the momentum they've. It's all in their dugout and it's hard to overcome a team that is on fire as they are here in this ball game.

That pitch on one zero is high to Taylor Sanchez, who hit the walk off home run against Prairie City Monroe Tuesday night in what was Williamsburg second game that night, or that that day they had to play one in the day and then one at night? Sanchez. I said, where's that home run rank? And she says, oh, it's as good as I hit against assumption in the state championship game. Oh yeah, that's fair.

They remember them all.

, the two one and that one's ripped way down the line. That one hit a tree. But that's foul.

Sanchez has verbally committed to Creighton. They're going to get a good one in her.

Mom and dad, both college athletes at Wartburg. And that one's fouled up over the screen to our right. College coaches are all over here. There's a little bit of buzz of what we could see, possibly in five A for a couple of coaches that might be of interest. You. If you don't know anything about five a softball, I'll tell you that game tonight at 730 could be extremely fast because the pitching is so on. Or it could be an offensive home run derby of some kind with a team record, home run hitting squad and centennial, and one of the best players Iowa's ever seen pitching. And that one's up the middle. Almost took her head off and Sanchez is on board with two outs

[APPLAUSE]

here in the third.

[APPLAUSE]

Good job to be able to battle at the plate. And this one right there. Roach could not get her glove up. That's how quickly those balls. That's an excellent velocity. That's what you hear. Major League Baseball talks about exit velocity. There was some exit velocity on that pitch that was hit right back up the middle.

Creighton in the Big

[APPLAUSE]

East has made some investments over in their softball facilities here recently. So. That one's hit to right. And that's down. And that's going to go all the way to the wall. Sanchez being waved at third. They're going to send her home. Throw is cut off in the circle. And it's 112. Williamsburg scores a run on an RBI double by Harper Meyers.

Myers really having a great eighth grade. She's an eighth grader and she is really produced for this team. Gets a clutch hit right here to push across a run. And I think you just uttered the words a few minutes ago. Don't go anywhere because this team can come back.

1122 outs here in the third. That one's hit on the infield going back as Ruba a couple of steps from the grass on the well-manicured field and turf. Great work by our crew here. In almost double the crew to keep things interesting here. And some of that crew, their old former wrestlers, maybe they were part of college wrestling because it is college wrestling. The heart of the mat beats in the great state of Iowa. Catch that grip the glory and the champions of tomorrow. That tradition continues with a new season five action packed nights of men's and women's duals beginning this December. On your statewide network, Iowa PBS. Last year, one of those matches, Laura, was just up the road in Humboldt. Kevin Dresser brought his Iowa State Cyclones and our schedule. Iowa and Wartburg. On December 10th. Don Bosco and Dowling Catholic, as well as Oklahoma City and Grandview and a high school NAIA doubleheader. Then the women of North Central in Wartburg and the men of Augsburg and Wartburg. On Thursday the 28th. Lawrence in Central Cone, Cornell. To close out our schedule. And then don't forget, we also have that little thing called the the Girls high School state tournament and the boys high school wrestling meet.

Which are fun and well attended and quite the atmosphere.

That is the understatement right there. That is a. Both have strong, passionate fan bases, and when you're in a state like Iowa with wrestling, wrestling means business. And right now, so far, Wahlert Catholic has been all business. Today they lead 112. As we go to work here in the fourth Sadie Schultz Natalie Ruba and Hayley Lang Ruba waiting in the on deck circle. Her bat. Oh, it is still smoking. It is on fire as Schultz looks to get on board to give an opportunity to have someone on for Ruba that pitch from Becker is a ball two and oh.

It will be interesting to see how they pitch Ruba when she comes up. Depending on who's on base and is there going to be an out, but they have to worry right now about Schultz at the plate first before they get to Ruba.

Schultz is the cleanup hitter and she's two for two with a single and a double.

Well, everybody in those top four positions, they're doing their job as well. They're getting on base and putting them out there for Ruba to clean it up in that five spot.

There's a look at Ruba, the birthday girl. I think she'd be fine with. You know what she has so far. I think there's one more thing she'd like as a gift, and that's hit on the ground, gloved by the third base. Suhr across to Capper for

[APPLAUSE]

the out.

[APPLAUSE]

Suhr kind of double clutch there as she fielded that ball. And then shows off the arm and getting the out.

So here's Natalie Ruba a grand slam in the first, a three run homer in the second bats here in the fourth with the bases loaded. That first pitch is low and outside.

[LAUGHTER]

Golden Eagles shortstop Natalie Ruba.

Everybody watching very intently. See if she can do it three times.

That one's hit again towards third. Got under it or got on top of it just a little bit, I mean, and pounded it into the ground for another groundout to third. So the hottest bat of the lineup, nobody wants to pick it up. It's still

[LAUGHTER]

still so warm.

[APPLAUSE]

Hayley Lang.

And it's up to Hayley. Lang. Zero for two hits it again. You guessed it at third Suhr over makes all of the outs at third. And then finally a clean inning for Williamsburg, but they are still holding a Williamsburg still looking up at an 112 hole as Wahlert has just been outstanding in this contest, and it has

[APPLAUSE]

been. Pretty fun to watch if you're cheering for the Golden Eagles and Tyler Lang is in his fifth year as the head coach of the Golden Eagles and he is getting ready to join us. He played football at the University of Dubuque and coach. It's not quite field goals or touchdowns, but you're scoring

[LAUGHTER]

runs with incredible presence today. Let's tell me about Natalie Ruba at bats.

Yeah, she's been big for us this whole tournament. You know really has come on strong here at the end for us. And it's you know it's making a big difference for us.

And oh by the way Roth sorry is what I was going to say.

What I was going to ask is Roth. She's a pretty masterful here today. What do you see from her?

Yeah. You know, she's been a competitor for us all five years. For us been down here pitching all five years down here at the state tournament. So just really proud of our group right now. You know we're facing the three time defending champions. We can't be satisfied. And we've got to keep our foot on the gas here.

[LAUGHTER]

All right coach thank you so very much.

Yes thank you.

Tyler Lang coaching in his native town. He has known these girls, these ones that have been part of that five run. And he's his daughter a sophomore that's on the team. And so that's fun as as coach is being waved into the dugout. You think they're enjoying things over there?

Yeah. Wave him around. Get the old windmill going. And yeah they they returned nine starters. And the senior class, they came in as eighth graders. And they have grown together. He has kind of molded them together. They all came up the system. And this is something that they have been looking towards, wanting to be able to get to a title game again. And this year, try to bring it home.

Capper pops it up for the first out. That'll make way for Maddie Gorsh.

Right fielder Maddie Gorsh.

His staff is Mark Rako, who charts, pitches and Alex Jeffrey College alumni. He keeps the book on this team full of experience and that is a foul ball by Gorsh. The freshman. Here's a look at that staff. That's charting pitches. That's not using

[LAUGHTER]

the electronic iPad. They're the good old school way. Ground ball to short across the

[MUSIC] [APPLAUSE]

diamond.

[APPLAUSE]

Keeping it on the ground. They're keeping the pitches down and not allowing Williamsburg to level off anything or elevate anything.

That's one hits deep and we're not going anywhere. That's the pitcher. Becker goes yard for Williamsburg.

[APPLAUSE] [LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE]

Oh, my.

Now came into the ball game to relieve

[APPLAUSE]

the pitcher. Gets the opportunity to swing the bat and she knocks

[LAUGHTER]

one out.

In the bleachers by athletic director from Williamsburg MacInnes. Nice catch. Messer Aly.

C Tauber giving chase and what a great catch out there. Understand? That's the athletic director at Williamsburg that caught that one out in center

[LAUGHTER]

field.

113.

[APPLAUSE]

There he is. Good look, athletic director. Great catch.

And now his phone is going to blow up. Addie's phones are already on fire all the time. The last thing they need is to have them on television and talking about Nathan King. So if you know coach's number, text him, tell him we said so. Say I'm sorry. But that does not keep this game out of the mercy rule, as even though we're in the fourth. Williamsburg has to keep going. Otherwise, they're really down to just five outs right now because it is eight after five.

[APPLAUSE]

So that gets him a step closer, gives him an opportunity, gives him a chance

[APPLAUSE]

. Has to give him a little bit of a lift.

That's hit to left base. Hit for Lilly

[APPLAUSE]

Ness. Talking about birthdays, trying to help out her mom. That's a base hit there for

[APPLAUSE]

Ness. So now

[LAUGHTER]

.

We're going to get our courtesy runner here for Ness.

And it's going to be Keston Spratt. Another one of those speedy runners for Williamsburg. She was competing at the state track meet as well.

Number one courtesy for the catcher

[APPLAUSE]

for Williamsburg.

So you feel like there's maybe a little momentum building in that Williamsburg dugout.

[MUSIC]

She was seventh in the class three, a 400 hurdles and part of the state qualifying 4x4 relay with the one at the bat right now, Ava Hooker, those two joined on that. So now again speed and hitting. You got to you got to speed up Wahlert right now if you're Williamsburg right.

Yeah I think you have to be aggressive. You have to do whatever you can do. Put it in play, run the bases. And they are right here.

Throw down to second. Not in time. It's off the mark. Ruba picks it up

[APPLAUSE]

off the dirt. And now you have a runner in scoring position with one out here.

A little pressure on. Make him start sweating a little bit.

Hit to right. It's going to get down. Coming around is Spratt. She's going to score easily. And it's now

[APPLAUSE]

114.

[APPLAUSE]

Well yeah they're starting to string them together.

And there is. We're getting ready for another

[APPLAUSE]

game ball. This one's going to be to the Becker family.

Tradition at the state softball championships that every.

Coach Lang goes out to talk to his players.

All right. Work hard here to get out of it. Work hard here.

All right.

Play clean. Let's go to work. All right, here we go. Here we go, here we go, here we go. Let's go.

[APPLAUSE]

Get out of it.

[APPLAUSE]

Here we go.

The Becker family gets to put a little something on the mantel.

First visit.

How fun is that? That. That is so great. The families are so proud. So happy to have that nice souvenir to commemorate this championship game.

High pitch. Throw down to second is not in time. Hooker. You guessed it.

[APPLAUSE]

Stolen base. And they're going to say she left early and she left early. Was caught earlier this week. They get her again. So that ends the

[APPLAUSE]

inning.

[APPLAUSE]

11 four is our score as we go. So that means that Allen will be up when we come back. And Adam Birdie is joining. Adam birdie joins us now. Coach, your girls keep battling. How are you going to do this here to keep pecking away.

Well every chance we got in and out we got to make it. I think we've had four plays where a ball is tipped off her glove. And they're not easy plays. But against a great team like this, you don't have a choice. You got to catch it. And then offensively we got to stop popping up, stop swinging at high pitches.

Becker has come in and done a nice job of slowing things down a little bit. Talk about her performance.

Yeah, she's been great here at the tournament. You know we got to keep going though. You know she's been the ball hit the corners. It's about you can do.

All right coach thank you so very much. Appreciate it Adam birdie in the hat. Ten years he's had that hat. He says this might just be the last year. He's not sure what he wants to do with it. He said I'm going to burn it. I said no no no no no. I'll take that. I think the union said they would take that, put that in the trophy case that has seen three state championships going for the fourth year. But like you said, they got to just keep pecking away and not give away outs.

[LAUGHTER] [LAUGHTER]

Lilly Oberhoffer Brosius and McClimon do up. For Wahlert and a first pitch from Becker, Kaitlyn throws it

[MUSIC]

in there for a strike.

[APPLAUSE] [MUSIC]

Good stop by Ness on oh one. Ness looks over to her left.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]

Gets the call. The pitch

[APPLAUSE]

inside.

You know as you get to the next level, they have a pitch clock that you have to get the pitch off and certain amount of time deliver that to home plate. And you wonder if at some point in time will that evolve and trickle down into the high school level?

[APPLAUSE]

The three one and that's hit towards second. Going over to her left

[APPLAUSE]

is Sanchez for the first out.

Good read by Sanchez. She initially started in on it and then took a good angle. Backed up, let it come to her over there at second knowing she had a little extra time able to make that throw.

[MUSIC]

First pitch strike to Claire Brosius, the right fielder single and a double. Two runs scored. Brosius competed at the state track meet in the 200 meter dash, so speed of her own. Wahlert a very good track team as well. They were in the hunt for a team

[APPLAUSE]

title. And I know it was kind of talked about last night with Brad and Allie in that for a game, discussing the other

[MUSIC]

sports, going out, and I cannot remember if it was Adam or Carla. I think it was Adam saying, you are going out for another sport. It was kind of the requirement. And new friends, new. I'm quoting Allie here. New friends, new muscles and a break from your main sport. And I just I couldn't agree more with what she was saying and how she was telling that story.

Yeah, I agree, I've always been a fan of playing multiple sports and seeing these high school athletes play basketball and volleyball or volleyball, softball, whatever it might be. I mean, in that first game we had Sidney Lovren played six different sports, for goodness sakes. And so yes, and I understand it's smaller school, smaller community. As you go up the classes to two, a three, a four, a, maybe the opportunities aren't as many as you get into the bigger schools, but still go out for that sport. You may not start, but you can learn to be a good teammate and support others. And, and just be a part of something a little different. And you're right. Get a break from the main sport that you play.

The

[LAUGHTER]

two two is hit up above us and nearly hit a candy bar wrapper.

[APPLAUSE]

You know, and it's

[MUSIC]

we look at participation numbers across the state, the school by school conference by conference view. That is going to be yeah, we're in sweatshirts. Yeah, I know, I mean, it's cold here. Do you do you fault us for trying to dress warm? You got to bring layers here. Eighth graders are going to get a chance to play right now. It is Allen. She throws across in time to get Brosius.

[APPLAUSE]

The sophomore.

She made that close showed off some of that

[APPLAUSE]

speed.

Ari

[LAUGHTER]

McClimon.

Yeah, I like the fact that eighth graders are going to be able to to play. I know there are some people that don't like that. And, you know, things are always changing at the girls union in high school sports. But I like the fact that you can bring up some of your eighth graders. Eighth graders have always been able to play softball because they're going into their freshman year. And we have seen so much talent from those lower levels coming up here at the softball tournament, year in and year out. I think it's time to bring it and do it in volleyball, basketball and other sports.

The left fielder for Williamsburg right now, an eighth grader, if Harper Meyers would have been in eighth grade last year when this rule was passed, she might have been in basketball or volleyball or whatever, but she is playing softball, and we saw eighth graders for Clarksville

[APPLAUSE]

. And I think, Laura, we're probably going to see more of the eighth grade girls in this sports than we might see the eighth grade boys. We'll see how.

They think.

So it's a kind of an athlete by athlete. High hit towards Meyers. The eighth grader underneath it. Right on cue, she helps put the button on the story, and that is how the

[APPLAUSE]

Eagles go down here in the fifth inning. We're in the middle. Time to stand and stretch and time to listen to Tim Fitzpatrick.

Stand up and take a stretch. And join with me in singing take Me Out to the ball game. If you don't know the words, just listen to the person next to you. They'll help you out. All right,

[LAUGHTER]

here we go.

[MUSIC]

Take me out to the ball game

[MUSIC]

. Take me out to the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and cracker Jack. I don't care if I ever get back for its root, root, root for the. If they don't win, it's a shame. For it's three strikes. You're out at the old ball game.

[APPLAUSE]

Hey! Nice job. Who's cheering for Williamsburg?

Not that I need to encourage Tim Fitzpatrick any more to be outgoing with his personality. The former activities director at Kuemper Catholic and Carroll. I think next year we need to get him a mike and lean him out the window. Harry Carey style. He would do it, wouldn't he?

Yes he would, yes he

[APPLAUSE]

would.

And with Chuck Shoffner playing the kaleidoscope, the organ next to him, that'd be a great act.

1947 Wurlitzer. Is that what they said?

Take that on the road. Kiley Allen is ahead one. Oh, now she's ahead two zero as Ruth's first two pitches are out of the zone. 11, ten zero for the Golden Eagles from Wahlert Catholic four, seven zero for the Raiders of Williamsburg. They are in black and the Raiders are trying to get back into this contest. Allen hit by pitch and grounded out bats here in the bottom of the fifth. There's going to be a 16th inning or a sixth inning unless. Sorry, I was doing the math.

Unless you're Clarksville.

Unless you. Unless you're Williamsburg and can get 15 runs this inning and win by eight.

16 innings. Sounds like something that happened in our class one A throughout the tournament.

Well hit to center going back on it off her glove in center, Tauber throws it back and nearly gets the runner. And if that ball doesn't fall out of the glove, that is an

[APPLAUSE]

incredible defensive recovery. Throw.

[APPLAUSE]

And tag. But Allen on to start with a lead off. Double.

I thought she had this one in her glove and then it just pops out and she made it very close. You're right. If Ruba can pick that one up clean, she is going to be out.

And that would be a great defensive play for the future. You and I. Panther

[APPLAUSE]

. That pitches out teammate with one of my broadcast partners this week Carly Goodwin former former Sigourney pitcher.

She had a pretty good state

[LAUGHTER]

tournament.

[LAUGHTER]

If I remember.

[LAUGHTER]

She did okay in our last game of 2024 in the state championship against Martensdale Saint Mary's.

Well, I'm happy to see that we have players staying in state, go to uni, Iowa, Drake, Iowa State. We've got a lot of players participating here in the state tournament that will be at one of the four major colleges, and then also scattered throughout Dmacc. We've seen them at Simpson Central.

You can say it, you can say it. Wartburg. There you go.

Get them in there. But I love that our players stay in the state.

And it's a walk for Taylor Sanchez, and it's now Harper Meyers. The eighth grader, you know, and Simpson making it to the Division three World Series this year with coach Brant Matthias Wartburg. I think I heard eight of their ten recruits are Iowa players, six of them playing here in the state tournament. So yeah, that one's up to Myers

[APPLAUSE]

inside.

Myers second on the team in RBIs. She's got one out there on second base waiting for her.

All singles for her in this tournament. Allen at second. Sanchez at first.

Yeah. She's a player that never played left field before and they wanted her bat in the lineup. So they found her a spot out in left field and has played it very well

[APPLAUSE]

this season.

I seem to remember eighth graders of the past from Williamsburg freshman for the pass from Williamsburg that we see in one championship game, and here we are again. That one's grounded to short, trying to get a pair. And that's not going to happen. It'll be a fielder's choice. Ruba to Schultz to get the middle runner. Sanchez.

[APPLAUSE] [LAUGHTER]

Sanchez out at second and first.

[APPLAUSE]

Theisen first.

I like the fact that Schultz looked like she was going to turn and try to turn the double play and throw it to first, and she held back and immediately turned and looked to see if Allen was strained too far off of third base, see if she might be able to pick her off, catch her sleeping.

And and and Julia Roth has just called a team meeting with her infield. She's

[APPLAUSE]

smiling about it. Leadership comes in all forms, doesn't it? Yeah. Winds and fires up high to Jersey Metz. Started the game as the pitcher. Now trying to help the team as the batter.

And I don't think you chance trying to move that runner from first to second.

[LAUGHTER]

Because I think Wahlert would be happy to give up the run to get that out.

Yeah. There's a look at your runners and the logo in center, the girls union logo, the lines painted by the robot with the GPS. They touched it up before

[LAUGHTER]

last night's championship game. That pitch to Metz backs up over the plate for a strike

[APPLAUSE]

. That's

[APPLAUSE]

zero for two.

And that logo looks so good out there in center field.

Yeah. All five diamonds. The one two grounded, hard to third Klein across to

[APPLAUSE]

Lang to get out. Number

[APPLAUSE]

two.

[APPLAUSE]

And no opportunity for Allen to move very far off of third base as Klein stares her down and moves her back to third base.

Makenna Capper now. Trying to keep the line moving for the Raiders hits the first pitch high and out of play towards the right side and into the

[MUSIC]

fans wearing blue and gold.

[APPLAUSE]

Capper, the junior. Ball gets away and a run is going to score for Williamsburg 115, scooting on down to third is Myers. It's 115. We'll have to clean the plate after the slide.

Just kind of quietly.

One at a.

Time, one at a time. They're creeping back into it.

Not trying to oversell it or keep you around. I mean, I love having everybody watching, but this is.

[APPLAUSE]

There are very few teams where I would feel that confident saying.

It.

That a team could come back from 111 deficit. It would be Williamsburg. They've proved it three in a row, state championships going for four tonight.

And if you have that mentality built in, yes, you can be down, but you're not out and know that you have the makeup and the chemistry to be able to put things together.

Like that. Another base hit to center for Capper and another run scores for the Raiders 116.

On.

Just one inning ago, we were talking about the mercy rule that could come into play. And now with that little line drive over the outstretched glove of Schultz, they climb one run closer

[APPLAUSE]

.

And it's going to be Harper Winegarden. I think, as I saw eight.

For four running.

And that is a pinch runner situation. Since Capper is first. So a likely reentry follows that. So Coach Berti says that run number seven at first is important. So I'm going to put some wheels out there and sacrifice that one. Pinch run opportunity here. Maddie Gorsh ground ball up the middle. That's going to get through. And it's another hit for the Raiders.

Well, and that brings to the plate somebody that homered in their last at bat.

Becker.

And that's going to be a Time-out. Coach. Tyler Lang is going to emerge from the first base dugout, and he is going to go out and talk

[APPLAUSE]

to. His players in the circle.

Hey.

How you feel? I'm good. Yep. All right. Hey. All right. We got two outs. All right, buckle down. Put your foot in the ground. Make a play. Let's get out of it. Go! Hit! All right. I told you they weren't going to lay down for us. All right? We got to put our foot in the ground right here. Get out of it! Go! Hit! All right, here we go. Here we go. Come on now. Come on now.

Got that motto on the back of their T-shirt. Next step. That next step. They're grasping it. They haven't gotten full hold of it. And they're. Had wanted.

Five run lead still. First pitch swing past third tagging the runner and getting out of the inning. Just like that with one pitch is Klein. She tags Winegarden.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]

Right there.

Got her on the hip. Just barely.

Just right there. And you can only go so far. And Skaggs on the fielder's choice. And it has been an active contest that started very early for the Golden Eagles. In the first. They get a lead off first pitch double by Julia Roth, and then it's Natalie Ruba with a grand slam there in the first. And just when you thought that was a big deal. Williamsburg tried in

[MUSIC]

there inning as hooker scores on a hit by Myers. And then again, it's the Golden Eagles going to work, taking advantage of a couple of balls off the glove. And then another birthday girl celebration for Natalie Ruba, a three run homer.

[MUSIC]

In the third for Williamsburg Myers with a double and Sanchez a single. And then it's a big fly for the new pitcher. Kaitlyn Becker. That was the third run of the game for the Raiders. And then here they go to work and score another. And then in the fifth. One, two runs score. With hits by Allen, a walk by Sanchez, a

[MUSIC]

hit by Capper and Gorsh, and it is now the home run queen in all of Iowa who homered in her last at bat. Number 76 on her career, looking for 77 to start the sixth. First pitch to Julia Roth is a ball.

Well, you don't want to put the leadoff hitter on, but you certainly don't want to give her anything really good to hit because we saw where that last one. Has it landed yet? That last one that she hit.

I think the tree they had to call the tree an on call tree doctor to fix that. That one's hit near that tree as well. No doubt about that one. Julia Roth leaves the yard again, another to her total 77 for the Wahlert baller Julia Rose.

My

[APPLAUSE]

oh my. She got that ball on the outer part of the plate and just drove it again

[APPLAUSE]

over those bleachers out in center

[LAUGHTER]

field. And you knew the minute it left her bat.

Yep. I'm surprised hooker even turned around because that one, nobody in those center

[APPLAUSE]

bleachers did.

[LAUGHTER]

You know, remember that movie for the home run hit into the lights? That ball was hit darn near

[LAUGHTER]

, near. Almost the big the big screen. We were going to have ourselves a

[LAUGHTER]

natural moment.

Yeah. She may get one more at bat. You never know.

12, six Wahlert Catholic Ruth Tauber.

Boy, just. I'm sorry. The power coming off off of that bat. I mean, she just generates so much with her swing. And as soon as it hit the barrel, it just. It flew.

There was a the home run watch for the Kendall Lindemann record was not even Julia Roth to start the year. That's all on Jordan Kennedy from Ankeny Centennial. Kennedy hasn't hit a home run in a couple of weeks, and Roth just can't stop hitting them. Great June and July for her, and she just keeps adding to her record.

And in fairness to Kennedy, she's getting walked a lot. Yeah, in in games that teams are not pitching to her and teams are pitching to Roth.

Roth goes. Down to first with a home run or with a walk. And here's another

[APPLAUSE]

presentation. Aaron Gerlach.

She's busy in this.

Game.

[APPLAUSE]

Busy.

[MUSIC]

And that bunt is fouled off.

[LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE]

Trying to bunt that runner into scoring position.

That one popped into right for Gorsh and Tauber retreats back to first on the fly out.

To the plate second baseman CD Schultz.

Maybe a little. They tried to bunt that runner around, get her into scoring position, maybe a little thought going through Coach Lang's mind thinking, hey, if we can put another couple up on the board, might be able to get to that eight run mercy rule situation. So maybe they're playing for for that. And you do want the extra insurance runs. Knowing that Williamsburg has been able to come back.

And Sanchez goes back on a ball that just hung up long enough for off the bat of Schultz. And they're going to walk Natalie Ruba.

[APPLAUSE]

So that'll move Tauber down to second

[LAUGHTER]

Ruba. To Hayley Lang.

Lang. I'm sorry. Wahlert fans didn't like the fact that they gave her the intentional pass. They wanted to see her swing again.

[APPLAUSE] [MUSIC] [APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]

Hayley Lang zero for three and a couple of Groundouts and a fly out today, but her team is up 126.

[APPLAUSE]

That's inside for a ball. Four in the first five in the second, two in the third. Hayley two so far here in the sixth for the

[APPLAUSE]

Golden Eagles. That one is hit up the middle. That could plate another one hooker up with it. The throw home it's going to be cut

[APPLAUSE]

off. Scoring run number 13.

[APPLAUSE]

Time is Tauber.

[APPLAUSE]

Good job of going up and getting that pitch and lining it in to center field. And hooker. Winds up. Had it online. But they cut that throw and the run scores.

Zoey Knepper to

[APPLAUSE] [MUSIC]

bat. Here on a pinch hit. Zoey a junior.

21 for 23.

Coming into the tournament, had 16 at bats. Getting a chance now here to swing. 21 with run 14 at second and 15 at first. So Knepper

[LAUGHTER]

.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]

There's a couple of Knepper over in Dubuque County, Delaware County.

You know

[LAUGHTER]

all the connections in that side of the state. You know them all.

Well. The Dubuque Bureau's checking in on something here. I have been saying Ari name a little off McClimon instead of McClimon. McClimon. So in case Ari doesn't get to bat here, I wanted to get that on the record that's popped up, and Becker is underneath it. To retire. Wahlert here in their sixth inning, but not before a couple more runs come home for Wahlert man, they are just hitting the ball extremely well today. They lead 136 here as it's Williamsburg Williamsburg Williamsburg time to bat here in the sixth and it's a little cool today, but pretty soon it's going to be the state fair. But it's always time to eat. Some guy was at the state fairgrounds recently eating everything. 11 new foods Laura I got was able to try that one is the apple pie, the mini apple pie that has cinnamon ice cream and vanilla. Here's my food score cards. And did you like my orange finger paints on my fingers? And that is.

That was the egg roll.

That was that was this is the Cajun cluck and chaos. That's the egg roll. The All-American. That was a lot of people's number one. And it has sausage, bacon, egg, hash browns and topped. It's it's a perfect breakfast food. And you can get caramel, corn, kettle corn, any type of cheese curd. I think it's 84 new fair foods and our coverage. Just want to let you know our coverage of the fair changes this year. We're going an hour earlier at 8 p.m. You can still watch it at nine, but our nightly fair highlights Monday through Saturday coming up here in just a little bit. But we have softball to get through here first

[APPLAUSE]

as Wahlert. Now back on defense up. Back to a seven run lead. Lilly Ness to bat for. Williamsburg okay, Laura, you did have a chance to kind of look at some of the fair foods. Was there one that you wanted to know more about?

Well, I thought that All American Egg roll looked pretty good. And what are your thoughts on that?

That's that was one of my top three.

And then what was that, that first thing we saw you eating? Is that a chocolate covered something?

Yes. It had.

Anything chocolate covered is good.

I think it was strawberry bliss. It was like I called it like a summer picnic because it had cream or meringue is what somebody said it was with strawberries and then chocolate, hard crust with the shortbread underneath.

Yeah, that looked good too.

Porcupine gnocchi was good. Very rich. And that one is a well-hit ball to left field by Lilly

[APPLAUSE]

Ness.

[MUSIC]

And Williamsburg tries to keep pecking away at the rock. And we're going to have a runner for the catcher. A courtesy runner. It's going to be I think that's that.

Spratt Spratt.

Keston Spratt. Yep.

Ness doing her job at the bottom of the lineup and now flipping it back over. You're going to get the speed as well. You got Spratt out there with speed hooker at the plate. See how she handles this at bat. We've seen her try to bunt a couple of different times. Use her speed to get on, but she can also swing away. She's got a little fire in that bat as well.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]

Hooker looking to move the line along, shows bunt gets it down. Fouls it off. I said, how does running around turn three turn four at Drake Stadium compared to Softball? And she says they're both unique experiences. They both have a whole lot of fun. This one's a little more compact than the state track

[LAUGHTER]

meet.

Tighter

[LAUGHTER]

turns to get around to get around the bases, and she does it really well. You've got to be able it's kind of an art to be able to run the bases very quickly, and you got to hit that inside corner as you're making that turn at second base, as well as if you're heading home from third. Coach is waving you around.

And Hocker actually stopped going out for volleyball, then went out for to work on getting her track faster. She also played in the basketball game at state against Wahlert, and she knocks that one and it's chased down by Tauber. The throw back to second or first

[APPLAUSE]

doubles off the runner. And just like that, two Raiders are erased. Spratt doubled off and

[APPLAUSE]

hooker on Hooker's fly ball.

Spratt just got too far off. Hung up in between. She kind of felt like that was going to drop. Tauber coming in really fast, able to cover that ground and pull that one in, and Spratt just hung out to dry.

Kiley Allen looks at a first pitch

[LAUGHTER]

strike.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE] [LAUGHTER]

Just when you think you have a rally going, the defense comes through. Maybe a little mental mistake on baserunning. You get doubled off.

The one one is low. But let's also throw in the fact that Ruth Tauber in center field plays an incredibly. Great defensive glove there and arm and ball. Everything. She does everything right

[APPLAUSE]

out there in center.

She does. And I think you talked about it that five year starter and understands the game so well and knew exactly what she was doing when she caught that ball. She almost ran it in and got to first to double off Spratt. But as soon as that momentum brought her in and she realized that Spratt was in between bases, she got the ball over to first very quickly.

The three two Allen rips it foul down the line towards the thing covered in Gray plastic. Something underneath it. No, no, we're not going

[LAUGHTER]

to say the T word. They had to deal with a little bit of rain last night. Here. In the end of that for a game.

They were able to get through it though.

Yep. They made.

It.

The three two is low and Allen is aboard with a two out walk. One thing that Carly Goodwin said a couple of times in our games this week is as a pitcher. She said that we you always hear about the leadoff walk, she says the two out walks are just as frustrating and actually can cause problems too, because you think you're through the inning and then you give up that walk. Let's see if that impacts Roth at all.

Yeah, you work so hard to get those first two

And then maybe you let up just a little bit when that third batter comes up and put them on via

[APPLAUSE]

the walk, and then all of a sudden start hitting, start getting runners on base. And that's a good point because I think, you know, not just first walk or a lead off walk or a two out walk. Any walk ins can be devastating, can come back to hurt you.

Sanchez at the plate. She's also on that state qualifying basketball team. She had three points in the loss to Wahlert at state, playing for coach Stephanie Rich Dacey, who was here earlier this week. I haven't seen her. If she's here today, coach Dacey also does commentary for the Williamsburg softball team and she was so excited. During the regional final, she might have gotten a little bit of trouble with the FCC for something

[LAUGHTER]

she said. And Sanchez draws a walk. But, you know, we mentioned it about the small schools and doing everything. And one walk leads to another. Yeah, but the basketball coach, she wants to make sure that her softball players or basketball players and softball players are supported. And that's something clearly also at work. What a great athletic school. Williamsburg both girls and boys sports has been here for years.

Yeah, everybody supports one another and you see a lot of boys teams coming to the girls games to support them and vice versa. And not just on the basketball side, but seem to go and support volleyball and wrestling and all of the sports. And that's what a community does, is they're able to be there for one another and support them. And we have seen this Williamsburg athletic department grow and been very successful.

Harper Meyers fouls the first pitch off to the left, looks

[APPLAUSE]

at a next pitch out.

[MUSIC]

Trying to make back to back walks. Pay. Myers a single, a double and a fielder's choice

[APPLAUSE]

. That one's

[APPLAUSE]

inside. Right in that area between the plate and the batter's

[MUSIC]

box. Or what? Where the batter's box once was. All those home runs. There's been a whole lot of dances at home plate. Got

[LAUGHTER]

rid of that chalk. That one's chopped into the middle. This one's going to be tough. And it is down at first and it is out Roth to Lang out three.

Boy, what a scoop by Lang because that one was ticketed to go out to right field. And Lang got the glove down and smothered it and picked it up.

Well, we mentioned a couple of the other sports. Our next one on Iowa PBS sports is going to be volleyball. That'll be in Coralville, football in Cedar Falls, girls wrestling back in Coralville, boys wrestling in Des Moines, girls basketball in Des Moines, and boys basketball on Friday, March 12th, 2027 will be from Hilton Coliseum. And to make this all happen, it is an imperative that you scan a code that is about to be on your screen, and a phone number that's there now ( 800) 728-2828, because your support makes programs like this possible. So we can show you fans in pink wigs. We also are all part of the Iowa High School Sports Championship coverage. As we educate, inform, enrich and inspire Iowans every day. Thank you for watching. Thank you for supporting. Thank you for waving. We're waving right back at you there. Scan that QR code. If you know anybody in that group of photos, those wolves fans make a donation in their name. That would be pretty awesome. Right now, I think we're going to have ourselves a dandy of a nightcap with this one. 13. Six Laura this one has still offered a lot, just not as much tension, but there's just this overriding anticipation here as we go to the seventh for Wahlert.

There is. And they just they would like to add a couple more runs and see if they can get a little extra cushion.

Well, hit to start, but going out to make the grab on Brosius right fielder on right fielder there. Maddie Gorsh makes the grab of Claire Brosius.

Ari

[APPLAUSE]

McClimon.

McClimon to bat. There were 21 runs scored in this game in the three A title game Williamsburg and assumption in 2024. Today we're at 19, so three A knows how to score runs.

Boy they sure do. And we have had some high scoring affairs in three a. Lot of big

[MUSIC]

bats in that class.

The oh one Change-Up has hit to left center, but Ava Hooker tracks it down for

[APPLAUSE]

the second out.

McClimon put a charge into that one, but the speed of hooker out there in center field gets to it easily.

And we're going to have another couple of changes

[LAUGHTER]

.

[LAUGHTER]

Coach birdie now. Okay, while we talk about the pitching change, let's look at I think is that our dance captain and assistant dance captain there on the cheer squad for.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]

Williamsburg. I think that's one thing that hooker talked about is they have their dance parties and their cheer practice. And we saw that in our starting lineups about how each one of the reserves seemed to have a different move.

Yes.

And, you know, this is they take it seriously. All facets of the game.

Yeah. They on off days or maybe rain days where they're not practicing. They split into the seniors and they really only have one senior on this team. But they have captains. They choose teams. They make cheers for everybody. They practice those cheers. And I think they practiced their introductions here today as well.

And 11 is coming in to pitch from left field.

All right. Myers is going to come in and pitch.

Myers will move in from

[APPLAUSE]

left. So the

[APPLAUSE]

third pitcher.

11 is pitching and one is in for 18 and going to left field.

One is in for 18. So Keston Spratt is in for Skaggs.

Raiders number.

11, which I didn't know Skaggs had been in the in the

[APPLAUSE]

defensive field. That's. He said one for 18, didn't he?

But that's not. I think I think sprouts going to left field to take over from.

There we go. There we go.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]

All this to face Julia Roth.

How about this.

Eighth grader.

Come on in. Let's pitch in the state tournament. And the first batter you get a face. The career home run leader in the state of Iowa.

Two home runs already for Julia Roth.

[APPLAUSE] [MUSIC]

Next pitch low. We've seen over the years coaches make changes for pitchers the second time through the lineup. Maybe for the third. Here is a new pitcher for Roth to see if there's a different result. That one's punched to right. It's going to be in the park, but it's going to go all the way to the fence. Roth digging for second the throw, not in time. And she's in there with a double. Good job there to get it.

In.

Really good job to get it in. Allen could not get the tag down before Roth slid in.

If Roth is not the all tournament captain. Curtis for three a. I'm not sure I know anything about.

Softball.

Well, she's had quite a tournament and quite a championship game, a double. She walked two home runs and now another double, and Murphy's going to come in and be the courtesy runner for her.

All right.

[APPLAUSE]

Murphy to.

[APPLAUSE]

Run.

And now it's

[APPLAUSE]

Addison Klein. And we are a run away. From Wahlert going up eight. 136 with runners at second and first.

[APPLAUSE]

Klein a walk a single fly out, a fly out. Her fifth at bat comes here in the seventh. The only inning she didn't bat were the fourth

[APPLAUSE]

and fifth.

[LAUGHTER]

That

[APPLAUSE]

pitch is in there for a strike.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]

Oh two coming. From Harper Meyers off the

[APPLAUSE]

plate.

[APPLAUSE]

Good spot.

Tried to get her to go after that one. Strike herself out. Get out of the inning. See if they can mount a huge rally in the bottom of the seventh.

The one two hit two seconds. Sanchez

[APPLAUSE]

gloves, throws over to Capper to end the threat.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]

No speech needed for Williamsburg. They know the task that's at hand. As they head into their dugout, the Wahlert fans stand to cheer.

[MUSIC]

Williamsburg fans just trying to mount some kind of momentum to spur their

[MUSIC]

team on.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]

Coming up on 7:00 here on July the 24th, 2026, we're wearing sweatshirts. Where on Monday we were in anything to stay cool. It was oppressive weather, not a factor. Today.

Good night.

You know, they play a lot of spring softball. Fall softball. That's what it kind of feels like a little bit.

It does feels like the end of May. One of those early games, start of the high school season, everybody bundled up in their fleeces, winter gloves.

And those little self pods.

Oh, I want one of those so

[LAUGHTER]

badly.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]

Well, sweatshirts are what we're wearing now. Chris is roughing it with just a T-shirt.

I know he's he's brave.

He's he's tougher.

Than one brave man.

Yeah. Metz Capper and Gorsh. Scheduled to appear for the Raiders. First pitch up the middle. Little rubber glove and over Ruba to Lang.

Ruba did a great job of charging that one. It had some funny spin on it, but able to get to it very quickly to get the first out.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]

And it'll be Makenna Capper had a hit her last at bat. First pitch is hit gloved

[APPLAUSE]

Klein to Lang. Two pitches, two outs and out away from a state championship for Dubuque Wahlert it's down to Maddie Gorsh.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]

They lose Kiley Sieverding to an ACL tear, but they brought back Roh Roth and Tauber.

[APPLAUSE]

And they're an out away from a state championship here in

[APPLAUSE]

three a.

[APPLAUSE]

When Coach Lang took the job, he said he knew he had talent coming in. They all. A lot of five year starters on this team.

Hit in the air towards right. Playable catchable. And that is a state championship class

[APPLAUSE]

three a Wahlert Catholic your champions here in 2026.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE] [MUSIC] [APPLAUSE]

They were finally able to make that next step and get over the hump. Won the rematch. These two fought for the

[APPLAUSE]

title a year ago, and they were able to win this year's championship and keep Williamsburg from making history in winning four in a

[APPLAUSE]

row.

[APPLAUSE]

They shake hands.

[APPLAUSE]

Good game, good game, good game, good game, good game, good game, good game, good game, good game. Good game. Good game. Good game. Good game. Good game.

Eight schools had won three in a row and it's going to stay at eight for right now. Wahlert would like to start their own streak. They get number one

[APPLAUSE]

here.

[APPLAUSE]

Thank you.

As you see Coach Lang and Coach Birdie exchange handshakes and well wishes.

A lot of respect between those two.

Absolutely. They've played each other a lot here at the state

[APPLAUSE]

tournament recently. The fans are standing getting their video, getting their pictures and Wahlert

[APPLAUSE]

getting their pink shirts.

[APPLAUSE] [LAUGHTER]

Presenting the a all tournament team medals. It's Farm Bureau executive director Marty Schwager. He's assisted by IGHSAU executive director Aaron Gerlach. Here's your class three, a all tournament team for 2026 from Wahlert Catholic Julia

[APPLAUSE]

Roth.

[APPLAUSE]

From Williamsburg Taylor Sanchez

[APPLAUSE]

.

[APPLAUSE]

From Mount Vernon. Hayden

[APPLAUSE]

.

[APPLAUSE]

From Mount Vernon.

[APPLAUSE]

Kinley.

[APPLAUSE]

Nissen.

[APPLAUSE]

From PCM.

[APPLAUSE]

Libby.

[APPLAUSE]

Winters.

[APPLAUSE]

From Van

[LAUGHTER]

meter.

[APPLAUSE]

Aniston.

[APPLAUSE]

Neaton.

[APPLAUSE] [LAUGHTER]

From Williamsburg. Harper Meyers.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]

From Williamsburg.

[APPLAUSE]

Jersey Metz.

[APPLAUSE]

From Wahlert Catholic.

[APPLAUSE]

Ruth Tauber.

[APPLAUSE]

From Williamsburg. Ava Hocker.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]

And your. Class three. A all tournament team captain for

[APPLAUSE]

2026.

[APPLAUSE]

From Wahlert Catholic.

[APPLAUSE]

Natalie Ruba.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]

Okay, fine. If you hit two home runs in the state championship game, you can be captain of the team.

Won a Grand Slam. Why not?

Why not?

You know.

Listen to the fans.

Singing Happy Birthday to her. And you know, she told us last night, the night before, she wants to fly planes. She flew a few out of

[APPLAUSE]

here in this championship game. She's going to start some ground training and took a discovery flight and start some pilots training. As soon as she gets home.

That was a look at Roth there and on the right side is your captain.

[LAUGHTER]

All these players.

Was on the on the I'm sorry. That was Ruba was on the left. Sorry. Yep.

Yeah. All these players had great tournaments and very deserving.

Player will receive a commemorative softball provided by Iowa Farm Bureau title sponsor of the Girls Athletic Union. Presenting awards are members of the IGHSAU Board of Directors. Congratulations to the runners up in class three a the Williamsburg Raiders and head coach Adam C Berti. Congratulations on an outstanding 2026 softball

[APPLAUSE]

season.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]

And presenting your class three, a 2026 State Softball champions, the Golden Eagles of Wahlert Catholic and head coach Tyler

[APPLAUSE]

Lang.

[APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]

Coach Lang and the Wahlert Golden Eagles. They hit early, they hit often. And now let's meet your player of the

[LAUGHTER]

game.

Of the game with two home runs each. Julia Roth and

[APPLAUSE]

Natalie Ruba will advance their team, completing the class three a bracket thanks to Kwik Star for this.

And no doubt about that. Roth outstanding in the circle and two home runs and Ruba two home runs on her birthday. The gift that she wanted. Laura, was the state championship.

They got the state championship and a great way for this senior class to go out. They have been working together for a long time. Finally got that championship that they had desired.

That's game two of our coverage today. One more to go. Champion for three A is Wahlert Catholic. They win 136. Coming up next, the five a title match so long for right now from Fort Dodge.

[MUSIC]

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