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♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ >>> The spotlight is flipped in the on position for state championship softball from Fort Dodge, Iowa and the Harlan and Hazel Rogers sports complex it's state championship softball on Iowa PBS it's the Audubon Wheelers and the Van Meter Bulldogs, a 3-1 matchup here on Friday afternoon.

Hello, along with Laura Leonard I'm Paul Yeager.

We have had some doozies of a game so far, we have a doozy of one coming up right now, Van Meter 39 wins in a row, Audubon has won both of their games on walkoffs, they are not even supposed to be here, what do you do if you are in this situation?

>> You're playing in the state title game and Van Meter a runner up a year ago looking to try to become the champions this year and Audubon, hey, go out and have fun and try to pull the upset.

>> And they are having fun and they are playing with the house money.

It has been a fantastic run for the Wheelers.

Their first trip to state ever, Riley Miller has pitched two complete games and Michelle Brooks the walk off two run double we will talk about the Audubon county fair queen in a little bit.

For Van Meter, third year at state, again, runner up last year.

They have another youth movement, Mady Schnell with the walk off home run in the semifinal win against east marshall.

This one is going to be a good one, but now let's go upstairs to Tim Fitzpatrick for some introductions.

>> Ladies and gentlemen, the jack north award is given to the outstanding senior performer from the state tournament.

The award named in honor of the former information director of the Iowa girls high school athletic union is given annually in basketball and softball.

Presenting the jack north softball award is Aaron GURlick.

The 2023 softball honoree is alley Flanagan of.

She led the links to the state 1 class tournament.

Allowing just one run.

She also had two hits in the state championship game.

She will be a sophomore at D Mack next fall and is a member of the softball team.

Ladies and gentlemen, the softball recipient of the jack north award from in orderland high school, Ellie Flanagan.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ >> The high with a high school athletic union recognizes pitchers that have achieved 100 career victories for their high school career.

Two pitchers reached the milestone during the 2023 season.

Here today to present today's honorees with their 100 game plaque is the executive director Aaron.

dirt there around second as you pan, you can see the diamond there, they kind of water it down, to reduce some of that dust and we will see how the conditions play.

this is arguably the hottest it's been this week is right here.

we had low 80s, then mid 80s was about all the hotter we got.

as we get into the upper 80s it gets to be interesting.

there is a look at the circle.

they've been kind of work Ogg than and adjusting.

a couple games they have had a little too much dust and try.

they've watered that down.

rile quick as they head out to introductions Ellie Flanagan we saw last year in the 1a title game, they are the defending champs, did not qualify.

mart tins Dale St. Mary's is who they beat.

they have a chance in their third game tonight.

we have game two first.

>> Tim Fitzpatrick will introduce us to the players in Fort Dodge.

>> We talked a little bit about Van Meter in the open, Laura, 39 games straight, it will be kind of one of the stories as the game goes on, but we just don't see streaks like that very often, but Van Meter is putting together an incredible run, a little bit almost historic.

>> Yeah, it is.

I mean, their last loss was to winter set back on May 25th so they have run the tables since that point.

They just have a nice combination of players, speed, a little bit of power, really good pitching.

>> There is a look at James Flaws, his father Jim coaches for Carlisle and they won the state title.

If you are going to win two in the family you have to have one and they have had that, so now no pressure, James.

It's up to you.

>> I don't think he feels any pressure, I think he feels really confident in this team.

>> He should.

This has been a good team.

There is a look at the Audubon coach, Andrea Schwery.

She's only in her first year as the coach of this program, which is Audubon and EHK, it's a combined.

They didn't decide to do that until late winter and so it's been kind of an on the go pro SES as they work their way through this.

So we will hear from both of those coaches with our mid game interviews, you can see the coaches are wearing microphones.

We have had our exchange of information in the pre plate meeting and now it will be time for introductions.

And Tim Fitzpatrick.

>> Good afternoon, softball fans and welcome to Rogers sports complex and this 2A state championship game between the visiting team the Audubon Wheelers and the home team, the Van Meter Bulldogs.

It's time to meet the players and coaches from both teams.

First of all, the visitors, the Audubon Wheelers, here are your nonstarters.

Number 15, Zoey Rasmussen.

Number 16, Jordan Mulford.

Number 20, Lucy Stanerson.

Number 22, Maya King.

Number 26, Payton Gust.

And number 27, Bryli Petersen.

Your assistant coaches, Kris Obermeier and Hannah Thygesen.

Now here is your starting lineup for the Audubon Wheelers, leading off playing center field, number 10, Mattie Nielsen.

Batting second at shortstop, number 12, Taryn Petersen.

Batting third and doing the catching, number 3, Jordan Porsche.

Doing the pitching number 4, Riley Miller.

Batting fifth playing first base, number 5, Alexis Obermeier.

Batting sixth at second base, number 6, Addie Hocker.

Number 1, Michelle Brooks, batting eighth in left field, number 7, Anna Larsen and batting in the ninth position, the right fielder, number 13, Gemini Goodwin.

Head coach for the Wheelers, Andrea Schwery.

And now let's meet the team and coaches from the home team from Van Meter.

Here are your nonstarters.

Number 1, Ashlan Small.

Number 2, Lily Lindsey.

Number 5, Brooklyn Lyftogt.

Number 6, Jilly Wosmanksy.

Number 7, Audrey Barr.

Number 10, Cielo Sparks.

Number 21, ivy Vaught.

Number 22, KAT Shepard.

Number 22 Ella Fennessey.

Number 27 Lydia Thummel and mare RA Karaidos.

Your assistant coaches, Josh Flaws, Hiliary Uhlman and Emily Blok.

Now here is your starting lineup for the Van Meter Bulldogs, leading off shortstop number 12, Finley Netten, batting second third base number 3, Lauren Wallace, batting third doing the catching number 17, Cali Richards, cleanup hitter for the Bulldogs doing the pitching number 8, Madeline Waldorf.

Fifth at second base.

Halle Karaidos.

Kennedy Wiedman, Bianca Prickett, batting eighth the designated player number 18 Alice Ruggles.

Batting in the ninth position at fifth base, number 11, Mattie Schnell.

And your flex player in center field, number 14, Katie Vaught.

Head coach for the Bulldogs, James Flaws.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, 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 Shane Wheelingel, at third base Tony Vandegriff and calling the balls and strikes this afternoon Mr. Gary Wax: All right.

Who is ready to win a state championship?

[ Cheers and Applause ] >> We're moving things along here as Van Meter breaks the huddle and heads to their dugout while Audubon gets ready to get the bats.

Let's take a look at the defense that Van Meter will send out.

Vaughan and Prickett in the outfield, Wallace, Netten, Karaidos and Ruggles at first.

The catcher is Cali Richards and the pitcher is Maddie Waldorf.

What do you know about Maddie Waldorf there, Laura?

She is a 27-1 pitcher, pretty good.

>> She is really good.

Has as many pitches as syllables that you just put into her name.

She's going to be around the plate, she's going to hit the zones and show you a lot of different looks.

>> Future Grandview Viking and she is in the circle today.

And this is the lineup she will play and try to plate as quickly Nielsen, Petersen, Jordan Porsche, Riley Miller, Obermeier, Hocker, Brooks, Larsen and Goodwin round out the lineup for Audubon.

As we get a little bit past the hour there.

What are the keys to the game, Laura?

>> Well, what Audubon needs to do is they need to take away the small ball of Van Meter.

They are going to do T they like to bunt, this he like to run and they can't take plays off.

You have to be engaged every single play.

You cannot take a play off, you can't let your mind wander, you've got to be in the moment all the time.

>> I'm ready to be in the moment.

>> I am, too.

>> I get my extra syllables out of the way.

What are the keys for Van Meter?

>> Well, they need to make them chase, go after bad pitches, make them get themselves out and get runners on base early and start moving them around.

>> First pitch is a strike at 5:33 on July 26th, 2024.

This is the Class 2 A championship, the middle game of our three-game set here on Iowa PBS today.

Waldorf looks in, throws another pitch which is a strike.

Gary Wax raises the right arm.

And Maddy Nielsen is down 0-2 to start this at-bat.

The pitch coming.

Misses inside.

The 1-2 coming to the senior, popped back.

>> The one thing Waldorf getting ahead in the count.

She did try to get them to chase, excuse me, and then came back with another one right down the middle of the plate, but you can tell that Waldorf is fired up and she's got a lot of adrenaline going.

>> High pop up on the infield, Ruggles fights the sun, the distance and the base runner to make a rough play to record the game's first out.

>> That was really tough.

>> Yeah.

>> It was a major league pop up and Ruggles called for it right away, called everybody off, gave the hand up, said I've got this under control, but it was up there for a long time.

>> That will make way for Taryn Petersen, the freshman shortstop.

Swings at the first offering.

>> You've got to be disciplined at the plate.

>> And that one is a strike on the inside part of the plate.

>> Showing a lot of different locations and changing the batter's eyes with what she's thrown so far.

>> Let's see what she does here on 0-2 to Petersen.

Swung on and fouled out of play to the left side.

Petersen has had a hit in each of the quarter and semifinal games which Audubon won in walk off fashion in both games.

Scored three in the seventh in the semis to get here.

That pitch she dips down in the zone to foul it off and get another one.

>> Peterson making some really good adjustments at the plate.

She got the rise ball the pitch before, had to climb the stairs to try to foul that one off, then they go down stairs and she had to bend over and reach out to get it to knock it foul.

>> Waldorf winds and fires again and gets the rise ball to get Petersen out on strikes.

The second out of the first inning.

Just climbed the zone with that pitch.

You know, I think, Laura, we've talked about changing the eye level of pitches and that one was -- it's always so -- looks so good upstairs like that.

>> It's so hard to do and then try to make the adjustment of that to try to hit that pitch, you've got to change the level of your swing.

You've got to bring the hands up and you have to try to level it off.

You want to try to hit the top part of the ball not the bottom part of the ball because it's going to go straight up.

>> Three home runs on the season.

Bats here with one strike.

Again, they throw -- they throw three straight pitches up in the zone.

That time maybe a little too high.

>> But if you can get that hitter to go after that one, you just keep inching it up, stair by stair.

Keep going higher onthe ladder.

>> There is the grip.

Good look from the crew above the third base dugout there.

Zooms in on the grip of those pitches.

Let's see what Waldorf does here on 2-1.

There it is again.

And that one into that well-constructed net.

>> I flinched on that one.

>> I thought so.

>> I did.

I flinched.

It was right at me.

I think she heard me say she just keeps climbing the ladder, climbing the ladder.

She's like I will give you one.

See if you can hit this one, broadcaster.

>> The pitch, high again, ball four.

Porsche on with a two-out walk.

>> Really nice at-bat.

Nice discipline by Porsche.

Let it all go.

Did not go after any of those pitches.

>> So we will have Riley Miller bat now, the pitcher.

The pitch to the freshman, up and in, but high.

.330 hitter, 18 RBI, six doubles.

Wandering off a little bit is Porsch and Richards snap throw down to Ruggles, not in time.

And now Van Meter looks to have a quick conference on what they want to do here with two outs.

>> I think just a moment for them all to get together and go, okay, all right, everybody take a deep breath.

We've got two out here.

Let's don't let this get away from us.

Let's just get the out.

Waldorf is kind of keyed up.

She's overthrown a lot of her last few pitches.

>> 2-0 catches inside.

I was going to ask you a couple of pitches ago and I will ask it.

Who has got more of the pressure right now, is it Van Meter or is it Audubon?

I mean, Van Meter has been in this position before, they know what a championship game is like.

Audubon hasn't.

3-0 is taken for a strike.

>> I kind of feel like the pressure is on Van Meter.

They've been here, they want to win that title so badly.

They were runner up a year ago.

Audubon is the new kid in town and they don't know what they don't know.

They're just going out here playing softball and, oh, by the way, we're playing for a state championship.

So let's go out and have fun.

>> Back to back walks.

Porsch and Miller.

Brings up Alexis Obermeier.

And we will have a courtesy runner and it's going to be Lucy Stanerson, the eighth grader.

So Miller will go in and get ready to pitch.

Stanerson will go down to first.

The first pitch fouled back into the screen by Obermeier.

>> And Waldorf knows she has missed spots with the last couple of batters, so comes in with one.

You have to believe that she's going to come right after Obermeier here again.

>> The 0-1.

This is -- you want to have some fun -- this is -- these two girls are about to be college roommates, the pitcher and the batter, Obermeier and Waldorf will room together at Grandview.

Right now they're competitors on the field.

The 1-1.

Swung through and missed.

>> Think about those conversations in the dorm room.

Everything is going to come down to this ball game.

They're going to go, hey, remember when I struck you out?

Hey, remember when I got that base hit.

That is going to be wanter for the next several years.

>> The 1-2 is a called third strike.

Waldorf gets win number one in the roommate battle to end the threat.

Second strikeout of the inning is the third out and Audubon leaves a pair.

>> Great start offensively.

We'll keep working.

>> James Flaws with a couple of words, not too worried here.

Audubon leaves a couple and we will go to work with Riley Miller.

She drew a walk and now she will come out to pitch.

As we get a look at her in the circle.

On the season Miller is a 13 -- a 15-2 pitcher.

We will talk a little more about her in a moment.

This is the defense behind Miller.

Larsen, Nielsen and Goodwin left to right in the outfield.

Brooks is at third, Petersen and Hocker in the middle and Obermeier at first, Jordan Porsch is the catcher and Riley Miller is the pitcher.

On the season a 1.22 ERA, struck out 237, Laura.

Opponents are batting .142 with her.

What do you see in Riley Miller?

>> She's got a good rise ball as well, throws a drop curve and will mix in an offspeed pitch every now and again.

>> As they huddle one final time before this pitch.

This is the lineup, Finley Netten, Lauren Wallace, Maddie Waldorf, Karaidos, Ruggles, Schnell to bat for the dogs.

Finley Netten headed to the University of Northern Iowa, two consecutive games we will see Panthers in the action.

Carly Goodwin in our night cap.

Right now Finley Netten.

Pitch to her is high.

.390 on the season for ten home runs, 52 runs, 50 stolen bases.

That is a great stat line.

Shows bunt, pulls it away.

>> The team leader in stolen bases, runs, home runs.

Really good lead-off hitter for Van Meter.

>> Runners even with the bag, kind of crash on the pitch and that one is right down the middle for a 2-0 strike.

>> Scouting report on Van Meter from coaches is Van Meter is going to put the ball in play, you prove that you can field it and then you've got to prove it again because they're going to keep putting it in play on the bunt.

>> Right.

Put it in the dirt is what they want to do.

Get it down, get it in the field of play and let that speed come into play as well.

They will bunt, they will bunt you to death and they will run to you death.

They just put it down in the dirt and hope that you can get them out.

>> Riley Miller takes a little something off that 3-1 pitch.

And Netten now bats with a full count.

She digs in from the right batter's box and that pitch is high.

Lead off walk.

Van Meter had 14 stolen bases, a state record, state tournament record, on Tuesday against West Fork.

And there's Netten.

Good look at her.

She's a track state champ, by the way.

So, yeah, that speed is real.

She's going on the pitch, the throw down to second is not in time.

Stolen base.

She was going before -- >> They didn't waste any time.

>> No.

>> Let's just put it that way.

The first pitch they're going, she was off and running, throw just comes up a little bit short.

>> Wallace pops up the bunt.

>> Porsch is going to have her hands full today.

She's got to be ready when there are runners on base.

Be ready, keep an eye on those base runners.

Be able to transfer that ball from glove to hand and be ready to throw.

>> The pitch is high.

The thing about the stolen base, Laura, that I like is it's a free base if you can make it work.

You don't have to sacrifice an out on a bunt to move the runner up, but the problem is that second to third is -- is a tough one to get.

And that's fouled back and that will make it a ball and two strikes.

>> We have seen teams this week and over the course of the season where they do get in that situation, you have speed on second base, nobody out, show bunt, try to draw those corners in and see if your runner at second can outrun the shortstop.

>> 1-2 is swung on and missed for the first out in the Van Meter first and Wallace is down, cannot move the runner up.

It will be Cali Richards.

Richards shows bunt and Porsch runs down to -- to Netten to try to chase her back to second.

>> She's getting a huge lead out there and they show the bunt, try to draw those corners in.

Netten took a chance, got about halfway.

>> The 1-0, Richards shows bunt.

It's a strike.

>> Up in the left-handed box, kind of pinching it over towards the first baseline.

So it's a lot of ground for the second baseman and Hocker to come over and cover and at short Petersen is moving with the runner so nobody is there to cover so she can get that big lead out there at second.

>> See if Richards lays down a bunt at 1-2.

I wouldn't be surprised if she does, or she will just swing away.

Watches it, though.

Never showed bunt on that play.

Two balls and two strikes.

One out here.

Audubon stranded a pair in their half of the first Van Meter has their lead off runner on in their half and that is high, right by Cali's kitchen.

Count goes full.

Miller's pitch is a ball and Richards is on with a one-out walk.

So two walks for Van Meter.

>> Ivy Vaught will run for Richards at first.

>> Vaught, not Vaughan, Vaught.

>> Get that courtesy runner in there, get a little more speed on the bases and you've got right now the middle of the lineup up, your cleanup hitter.

>> Madeline Waldorf the pitcher, shows bunt, pulls it back, and it's a strike.

.526 hitter, nine home runs.

That's an impressive stat line.

Swing and a miss that.

Pitch kind of went up, rise ball there from Miller.

Who is ahead 0-2 on the cleanup hitter.

>> Got a good look at how Miller released that from her hand and was able to get that spin.

Swing and a miss, foul tip caught by Porsch for out number two.

>> Living with that rise ball.

Giving Waldorf a little bit of her own medicine there.

>> Cali Karaidos to bat here with two outs.

After that initial at-bat Netten is kind of not tried to advance on Porsch.

Let's see what they do here with two outs.

Offspeed, called strike.

>> But look how far she's getting.

She's almost more than halfway and she's trying to draw that throw and they're doing the right thing.

Porsch is looking right at her, running right at her, making her make that decision getting her to go back to second.

If you throw behind her she's going to go to third.

>> As Karaidos swings through that one.

And now Miller is a strike away from getting out of this first inning untouched.

One ball, two strikes, the pitch, high.

But what does a good secondary lead like that by Netten accomplish?

>> Eventually it's going to get them to -- either they're going to ignore her or they're going to throw.

>> Ground ball to short.

Petersen over to first to get the out.

The two runners will stay left on base in the stat book.

We played an inning, no score Audubon and Van Meter.

Let's watch it again on the hard hit ball in the hole, Petersen had to hurry.

So the two walks don't come back Here is how this bracket in Class 2 A, Van Meter West Fork in the opener, east marshall beat Lisbon, Eddie VILS Blakesburg Fremont beat Northeast in that part of the quarterfinals and then Audubon walked off west Monona and then you see Van Meter advancing here to the state title game.

In the third place game in 2A.

Eddie VIL Blakesburg Fremont beat east marshall in two innings they're probably deep into that third game there.

Not yet?

We are not deep in this game yet, lawyer ration we're just getting ready in the first inning.

What have you seen so far?

>> I've seen no runs put up.

>> I know, right?

>> That's different than the last few games we've witnessed at the tournament.

Both of these teams are going to put pressure on the defense, doing a good job of being smart at the plate, not going after bad pitches and I think we're starting -- yes, we're one inning in, but the pitchers have kind of started to settle in, get their balls to move where they wanted them to move, got the spin on them.

I think instead of a lot of runs here I think we may have a pitcher's dual.

Addie Hocker a .269 hitter is now down 0-2.

But, again, we're seeing the pitchers in this game kind of do what the pitchers in the last game did and that's kept grabbing for the Rossen and the towel.

Swing and a miss, three-pitch strikeout of Addie Hocker, third strikeout of the game for Waldorf is the first out here in the second.

>> Yeah, it's just a little humid here and the air is kind of thick and it's going to be hard to be able to get the good grip on the ball, but I think both pitchers have figured out a way to overcome that.

That pitch was right belt high and that had a little heat.

So did that one.

>> First pitch to Michelle Brooks, the senior.

Who had the game winning two-run hit to right center on a big swing.

She was just trying to get it to right field.

Push those runners on.

Now she's just trying to get on base.

.235 hitter, 17 runs driven in, two of them coming on Wednesday.

>> And in that ball game her first at-bat she hit one to the right side and the first baseman made an incredible play, it hit her glove, popped up in the air, she stayed after it and dove and caught it and robbed Brooks of a base hit and she said I remembered that when I was at-bat and I knew I needed to get it out of her reach to get it into right field.

>> The 1-2 is off the plate to Brooks.

As the communication from the bench goes out of the ear of Richards.

She gets her earpiece back in.

>> We've been doing games over the course of the summer, you've seen a lot of different ways of communicating into the players what the signal is.

You've got the verbal that we see right there with the earpiece, you've got teams valley the other night in the state championship they had the electronic wrist bands that you use and you still see the cards that coaches communicate to get their signals in.

So there's a lot of different ways to communicate with your team nowadays.

>> The 3-2 is swung on and missed as it backed up on Brooks.

Four strikeouts now for Waldorf.

Waldorf struck out ten against east marshall.

Already with four of the five outs have come via strike out.

Anna Larsen bats, the sophomore.

Eight place hitter for this team.

That pitch misses from Waldorf.

The 2-0 coming is swung through and missed.

Waldorf -- that's Larsen, there's Waldorf.

Waldorf going to go to Grandview, work -- she's already been working with Claudia Farrell on the pitching coach side of things, that will be one of her coaches who has a record at the state tournament.

I think strikeouts in a tournament.

>> And Claudia and her dad Willie say they watch these games all the time.

They love watching the softball games on the state tournament.

So they might be listening tonight and watching one of their future players at Grandview and Claudio was an excellent pitcher and an excellent coach and a great teacher.

>> Three balls, two strikes coming to Anna Larsen.

And that one is off the plate for a ball four.

I tell you what, what if we added Willie to be the third member of this broadcast crew, could you imagine that?

>> I think I don't get to talk now, if Willie were on the broadcast, Willie Farrell, neither one of us would speak.

He would do the whole show.

>> He would do he everything and it would be entertaining.

>> Definitely would be entertaining.

>> I like to think I can sometimes come up with a quick line.

I am in peewee ball when I'm around Willie in a group setting.

All right.

So the runner on is Larsen at first.

Gemini Goodwin bats and that pitch is belt high and a strike.

Goodwin the right fielder a senior, one of the three players to come over from EHK to join this Audubon team this year.

That one is popped up and it's just going to be too tall and too hard for Richards to get to.

Goodwin, Petersen and Miller, the three from EHK.

>> Yeah.

>> Tom Petersen the long time girls basketball coach there.

>> Another famous alum from EHK just took over the reins at the Iowa women's basketball program, Jan Jensen.

>> You know her?

>> A little bit.

She is a star at Drake, I know that.

>> Oh, really?

>> I had to get my Drake plug in.

I have to get my Bulldogs -- I have to get the Drake Bulldogs plug?

>> The 1-2 swung through and missed.

Strike number three.

And Waldorf strikes out the side.

Goodwin is out on strikes, Larsen is stranded on base.

>> You've got to see the ball deeper in the zone.

0-1 is not a good pitch.

We throw it out and in.

It's not a good pitch.

Let's go.

>> Talk about pitchers getting ahead in the count all the time, he's telling his hitters you get ahead in the count.

Don't go after bad pitches.

>> So not only are they trying to take advantage of every base, they're trying to take advantage of every pitch too.

>> And you have to.

And you have to -- I know they've studied every team they've gone up against at the tournament and they have a good scouting report and know what they're supposed to do and what she's going to throw but you have to be one step ahead and try to -- is there any pattern that's happening with these pitches and the pitch sequence and try to figure that out or just zone in on an area and try to drive the ball.

>> You know, this is -- you know, we talked about pitchers, I know we're really looking forward to the pitching matchup in this closing game, but we might have ourselves shaping up to be a pretty good one here so far.

Six strikeouts for Waldorf, she struck out everybody and Miller has struck out two in her three outs.

So let's see what happens now to the middle bottom of the order.

It's Kennedy Wiedman to lead things off for the girls in blue and white.

First pitch is a strike.

So getting ahead is Riley Miller, and falling behind is Van Meter.

Is that when the coach shakes his head, what did we just talk about?

>> Sometimes it's hard to take the message from the huddle.

>> Slaps it to short, Petersen over to Obermeier, doesn't matter because the ball comes out of the glove and Wiedman leads things off here with an infield hit.

>> Wiedman who also runs track showed off that track speed as she just punches it into the ground and turns and runs and gets there before the ball.

>> And of course I stick my neck out before I get the answer.

They are going to rule that an error.

So now Bianca Prickett will bat, the right fielder.

>> Prickett played a big role in that semifinal game the other night.

She had to come in in relief.

>> The pitch throw down to second is cut off by Petersen.

So down to second is Wiedman on a stolen base.

You know, we were on pace in that first game for lots of stolen bases and then everybody just gave up and started hitting doubles and home runs.

We will see how long it lasts here in this game.

Second stolen base of the game by Van Meter.

Prickett shows bunt, gets it down.

Here comes Brooks, throws across to first, gets away from Obermeier, coming to score is Wiedman.

>> And that's how they do it.

Put it in the dirt, get it in play, steal some bases and execute at the plate.

That should be another error.

So back to back errors for Audubon puts a run on the board for Van Meter.

So Prickett is at first.

What did we talk about, Laura, time and time again, just put the ball in play.

>> Make the defense do their work.

Make them do their job.

Make them prove it.

And that's what Van Meter does is they put it in play.

You have to be ready if you are a fielder, be on your toes and know that you've got to pick it clean and you've got to make that transfer very quickly and flawlessly and throw it over to first to get the out.

>> And that bunt is nearly an error on the batter because she popped it up, but getting back is Prickett, so coming in is Obermeier to make that play.

One away now.

So Alice Ruggles is out, Mattie Schnell comes to bat here.

The freshman.

Hit that game-winning home run in the eighth.

>> She was so excited after that when we had the chance to talk to her somebody said what was it like?

She said it was crazy.

It was so crazy.

>> Shows bunt, fouls it off.

And I think that was her first career home run.

>> It was.

>> She's an eight grader, she's not even been an official high schooler yet and she already has a place in Van Meter LOR.

>> I said what was the thought process or what was the feeling in the dugout because you guys really hadn't hit the ball very well or very hard in that ball game and she said we said don't let that last at-bat get you down.

Come back stronger, do something in your next at-bat.

If you get out or hit a ball right at them then you just come back stronger and that's exactly what she did.

>> Take the stolen base off because she left early.

So Prickett is called out for leaving early.

We're going to see that here on replay, if this doesn't end the inning 1-2.

Now we'll get to see that early look.

That early departure.

Yeah.

Pitch had not left her hand.

Yeah.

>> And base runners try to get an advantage wherever they can and it's all a game.

I mean, you just try to figure it out, where is the advantage that I can gain.

>> On the two hopper throws out Schnell and erases the line for Van Meter.

So a couple of errors, a lead to a run, but it could have been worse.

>> That's all they get.

We can clean it up.

Nothing they did special, just something we did.

We're fine.

Get the nerves out.

Second time through the batter lineup, get some runs.

Be patient.

Be patient.

Be patient.

>> Andrea Schwery there, head coach.

She had been the head coach at EXIRA.

She's from Manning.

Now we're going to get a chance to see some slow motion pitching.

>> I always like looking at these things just to see how the release from all these pitchers, what they do to get the spin.

How far out and what kind of a push they get off the rubber and the extension.

And then the excitement of throwing a strike or striking somebody out.

>> You know, whenever I get done watching that -- great work, again, by the crew getting that and showing that -- is the poor rubber.

Because they are pushing off with so much force because the weight -- we talk about the weight room.

I mean, these are athletes who spend a lot of time in the weight room and part of it is they need strong, low thrust, pushoff, to get the ball home.

>> You need those strong legs and you need that leg drive to be able to give you some of that velocity on your pitches.

>> Mat KWLEE Nielsen on the season, .365.

She Pats for the second time in this game.

1-0 Van Meter.

Nielsen ahead in the count 2-0.

That ball is bounced.

They're going to say it hit her.

All right.

So Nielsen is hit on the pitch, she will go down to first.

>> We've talked about it, the grip, the moisture in the air.

Looks like Richards and Waldorf are going to have a quick little discussion.

Waldorf did look at her fingertips and just say, you know, they're not getting a good grip.

So she's going to the dirt, going to try to see if that will help.

>> I can tell when the humidity is here, we've done enough games, I can kind of tell when the humidity is up and I'm not competing.

I know when their body temp and everything is pushing that sweat so much more and it is hard to keep it all in check.

But that is part of the game, both teams playing in the same environment right now.

It's not an advantage, it's who can deal with it best.

Taryn Petersen is at the plate, Maddie Waldorf is the pitcher.

Bunted towards third, Wallace gloves, throws to Ruggles, the throw back to second doesn't get Nielsen but the runner does advance.

>> It was very, very close on that throw over to first base that she came off a little bit too soon.

We're going to get a chance to look at that.

I'm not sure if Ruggles came off, but from my vantage point it looked like she might have left the bag a little early to make that throw back down to second and the umpire right there to make the out.

>> That pitch is swung through by Jordan Porsch who walked in her last at-bat.

I do apologize for the member of the -- I think that's somebody from the Astros bench that's up above us double pounding on the fence.

I think a fastball is coming.

The 0-1 inside.

Evens it up at a ball and a strike.

Nielsen at second, moved up there by Petersen.

Here in the third, 1-0 Van Meter on Friday afternoon as we move towards evening.

Popped up into the net and foul.

>> That's what you do when you are Audubon.

You're down a game -- or down a run, you get that first runner on, you move them around, get them in second base and then give yourself a couple opportunities to try to knock her in.

>> That pitch was high at the letters.

>> Boy, Porsch just kind of looked around waiting for that call from the umpire and she was like, oh, I got away with one.

>> That wasn't a strike?

Okay.

>> 2-2.

That one is high.

Porsch went up on her tippy-toes thinking I want that one and laid off.

>> She's had a really good at-bat so far.

Good eye, laying off of those pitches that are borderline.

>> Up the middle, it will hit the second base bag, I think if that ball doesn't hit the ball Nielsen easily would have scored.

Instead runners at the corner with an out.

>> That was hit just far enough to get right back up the middle and you're going to see right here it comes right off the corner of the bag and careens into the outfield.

>> Coach Flaws in the circle and we also had an Audubon huddle.

>> Stay up.

If there is a bunt I want leave.

From you.

From you just check, okay?

Just from you and you, got it?

Dogs on three.

One, two, three.

>> Talking over a little strategy.

What happens if they do lay down a bunt, if they try to squeeze this run in from third base, how they're going to handle the runners at the corners if they do try to take second with the runner over there and Porsch at first base.

>> Riley Miller had the game winning hit in the quarter final.

Looking for a big hit here to tie it.

And if it's a big enough hit, maybe give them the lead.

First pitch low and going down to second will be Porsch.

So now it will be second and third, force out of the -- off the table and now a base hit likely does score two.

>> Base hit will probably score two, fly ball to the outfield will tie it up.

>> Pitch is high from Waldorf.

Waldorf has only given up three runs this tournament, none to West Fork and three to east marshall before she was lifted.

The pitch is a strike.

>> The 2-1 is a strike.

Almost the same place as the last pitch.

>> Right there on the outside part of the plate.

That's one that you try to just punch it to the right side, see if that runner would come home.

>> Richards saved a run right there.

>> She sure did.

>> That one sailed out on Waldorf.

>> Good reaction time back behind the plate.

Hour he right, she did save a run.

>> Inside swing and miss, big fist pump from Waldorf to get the second out of the inning on a strikeout of Miller.

>> Jammed her, got right in on the hands and she couldn't get the arms extended.

Tried to pull the bat in to make some contact.

That was a good quality witch from Waldorf.

>> It's up to LEX Obermeier.

>> Richards doing a great job behind the plate just blocking everything, getting up out of the crouch to catch the high pitches.

She is doing everything to keep the ball in front.

>> The 1-0 is swung on and missed by Obermeier.

>> Coach calls her great power hitter.

She's just got to get something down in play together a hit.

The 1-1 is low.

Richards, it gets away from her, the run is going to score and it's thrown away behind the on deck circle and two runs are going to score!

On a wild pitch that really didn't look like it was going to go that far ends up costing two runs and Audubon takes the lead!

>> Heads up base running as well as Porsch is right on the heels of Nielsen.

This one in the dirt off the mask, it's located right away by Richards but the errant throw gets by Waldorf and right on the heels, head-first slide is Porsch.

>> That's a wild pitch and then an error on the throw.

Okay.

So that allows the run to score and that's the one where you probably are going to tell her you're not going to get the run, eat it, because you don't want one to become two, and one became two very quickly.

>> Right.

Right.

And I apologize that was the courtesy runner for Porsch, that was not Porsch.

I'm sorry.

I think it was Brand maybe.

I apologize, I did not get that change.

>> I didn't, either.

>> I think that's the number I saw.

>> Okay.

So the 3-2 coming here is low and Obermeier is on with a walk.

Obermeier was trying to get a hit.

She gets a walk and was up long enough to allow a wild pitch.

So now the Wheelers are rolling here, up 2-1 and that one gets away from Richards and Obermeier is going to motor on down to second.

So another run in scoring position with two outs.

Same kind of thing we saw in the first game, Jersey Metz was having issues, missing them down in the dirt in that same location.

>> Waldorf said she's been working on the mental side of things.

Right now her mind is racing.

Throws a great pitch.

That was a great come back throw.

That pitch inside.

Addie Hocker the senior, struck out in her first at-bat back in the second.

Sixth batter this have inning looks at a pitch that catches the plate.

And now Waldorf is a strike away from getting out of this inning.

It's hit into left field for a base hit.

Obermeier is going to go to third, hooker is going to dance around at first, back into the circle the ball goes, runners at the corners, two outs, Audubon threatening again.

>> Obermeier held up a little bit on that line drive, I think didn't realize or forgot that there was two outs.

I don't think she would have been able to score, I think they would have held her up either way, but now you have runners at the corners.

That ball was hit pretty hard and got out to left field fairly quickly.

>> It's up to Brooks the senior.

Two in so far for Audubon.

That one is low.

Richards throws back to the pitcher, everybody is safe.

Obermeier and then Hocker and now James Flaws to come out and have a conference.

>> One of their worst hitters, throw her outside, probably hit to the right side, hit it right or pull it.

A hard ball to you to second base, get ready to go.

We're playing her shade two.

You're going to go to first base.

>> A pitching change, Bianca Prickett went in, got the mask.

And they will send Waldorf all right.

So we have a few things we'll sort out here.

Lawyer ration you were talking about getting -- chasing -- look, I know you weren't talk being t that was going to be my segue earlier, buck you can get your picture taken there at the throne, the Iowa girl throne.

That's been a new addition to the tournaments here this year as they can get some great photos.

There is a tiara there, there is a softball there.

>> Yeah, we have not had a chance to get over there and get our picture taken, but those -- just those little added fun things that the girls union has done over the course of the years has made this tournament, the same way with girls basketball, makes them so special for all the fans, all the players that are able to come up and participate in these events.

>> All right.

So Bianca Prickett is going to come in to pitch and then they sent -- I think they sent Waldorf to -- >> First.

>> -- to first.

Prickett had to come in in that game against east marshall, James Flaws making the change a little earlier than he did the other day.

And then Ruggles is out on the DP, right?

Schnell goes to right.

Okay.

I think everybody has been updated and briefed by Gary Wax.

Good to see the umpires in the pink shirts today for their work.

Offspeed pitch misses -- or, no, that does catch the zone.

>> Those are the same kind of moves they made the other night in their semifinal game and Prickett did a really nice job of coming in and handling the situation in a tough situation.

>> Brooks hits it in the air to center, getting under it is Vaught and that ends the rally.

Not before the Wheelers plate two and take a lead here in the 2A championship game.

>> She's going to reenter.

>> See it down.

See it down.

Same idea.

Dogs on three.

One, two, three.

>> You heard coach Flaws, almost the same demeanor, same tone as he's had the first two innings but now the situation is a little bit different.

We are now going to see Riley Miller in slow motion.

>> She gets a lot of push and able to turn it over.

Look at that drive.

She almost gets a little airborne there as she's pushing off of -- off the rubber.

>> Riley Miller as a sixth grader came to this tournament and this field and wanted to meet Fort Dodge pitcher Jalen Adams because she wanted to pitch like her, be like her as a softball player.

Two the met back then.

Jalen Adams now pitching for the University of Iowa, won a state title on this field a couple years ago.

Jalen an excellent pitcher >> That's what this tournament is all about and that's what being an Iowa girl is all about, having your idols, your role models, seeing these players play in the state tournament and getting the opportunity to meet them and want to edge late them and she has a great career in front of her.

She is young, but, boy, has just made a name for herself already.

And she's going to be one of those players that the younger girls are going to come and look up to and want to be like her.

>> Finley Netten now down 0-2 to the pitches from Riley Miller.

Hit in the air, foul, though, and out of play.

Audubon which won in walk off fashion Wednesday in the semi-finals got on the bus and went back home, slept in their own beds Wednesday night.

It was a little later when they made it home.

They were able to sleep in Thursday, work out on their own field and then came back up this morning, arriving early this afternoon.

About a 70-mile drive home.

>> I was able to sleep in on Thursday.

That was a late night.

>> Pitch goes high for Miller.

Finley Netten walked to lead off the game for Van Meter on the batting side.

Bats here in the third.

Swings through it for a strike three.

As Miller climbs the ladder for that strike out.

>> That's one of her go-to pitches, that rise ball.

And when it's working for her she's very tough.

>> Miller's first pitch to Lauren Wallace is a ball.

Wallace a five-year varsity player.

Soccer star for the Bulldogs.

So imagine that, she hustles.

>> Yeah, always does the little things.

>> Hit off the hands, over the shortstop for a moment Petersen just leaves a little air between her feet and the ground and grabs it out of the night sky for out number two.

>> Soft little liner that Petersen just had to retreat on just a little bit.

Able to reach out and grab it.

>> Was that an abracadabra moment.

>> That was a good song.

>> Somehow Obermeier comes back down before Richards can reach and what could have been an error and an inning extender is not.

The play that never happened.

As the Wheelers -- >> Also, hey, make them pay for this switch early.

Let's put it on them.

>> I love the game when we can listen in and the grit back and forth and this is the on play field.

Hopefully we're pretty nice to each other on social media, but at times social media is pretty good to connect and that's what we want you to do right now, give us a follow on Facebook.

You can message us at Iowa PBS or if you want to use a hashtag, Iowa PBS sports.

Join that conversation, give us a follow on Facebook and X.

Use that hashtag.

Enjoy the championships with other fans.

Let's keep it nice, though, shall we?

We all know you love your teams and your teams love you.

One thing second year in a row, Laura, the signs are very obvious here.

The yelling -- I don't know, very unsportsmanlike play not really tolerated, they're going to send you home.

>> Do you know what, that -- as you had said, be nice to one another.

Cheer for your team.

Yeah, there is a little rivalry going on, but -- and let's have some fun with it, and you can taunt a little back and forth, that's part of the game, but let's just be nice.

And if you don't, go home.

>> You know, in basketball we hear the chants back and forth for the fans, we don't hear that as much in softball.

Occasionally we get that.

It's rare.

A lot of times everybody is just outside enjoying the nice evening.

They're enjoying a 2-1 game right now with Audubon in the lead and they're back at bat here in the fourth.

Larsen, Goodwin and Nielsen due up.

Larsen walked back in the second.

Two runs, two hits, two errors for Van Meter -- or for Audubon.

One run, zero hits and one error for Van Meter.

There's a good look at Larsen.

She puts it in play to the pitcher, Prickett, and that's an out.

>> You heard coach Schwery say let's make them play for this early switch, but I'm going to tell you, Prickett did a really nice job coming in in the semi-finals.

No nerves, just beared down, kept them in that ball game, got them to a point where they could win it.

So she's going to be tough.

She's -- just because she is the second pitch tore come into this ball game, doesn't mean she's going to be any less effective.

She does a good job, a little bit different speed than what we saw with Waldorf but she's going to hit her spots.

>> Gemini Goodwin bats with an even count one ball, one strike.

Across to Waldorf not in time and that's an infield hit for Goodwin.

Hustling down the line the whole way.

>> That was a tough chance for Netten.

She had to cover a lot of ground, had to go down to a knee to try to pick that clean.

Couldn't get a good handle on the grip of the ball to throw it.

>> And she juggled it.

I didn't see the juggle so that's ruled an error.

And Mattie Nielsen bats, the lead off for Audubon.

So Goodwin goes to first.

Nielsen was the one who started that rally in the quarterfinals, scored the game winning run.

Bats here, hits it to Wallace, but foul by about a foot.

That Audubon red stands out there with the sun hitting it.

The 0-2 is hit towards Wallace, gloves it, throws to second, in time!

Gets Goodwin on a bang-bang play on the fielder's choice.

>> Wallace did a nice job of just smothering that ball.

Comes down the line to her, makes sure she has a good grip on it and just a bang-bang play, as you had said, over there at second.

Very close.

>> Taryn Petersen now to bat, the second place hitter, and the fourth batter of the inning.

She's 0 for 1 with a strikeout.

Did have that nice sacrifice bunt.

Bats here with two outs and it's hit over the head of center and it's going to go all the way to the wall.

Rounding third is Goodwin, she's being waved home, the throw is off the line and into second with an RBI single is Taryn Petersen.

3-1 Audubon.

>> Petersen a good contact hitter, got all of that one and that was a gaper all the way to the fence with two outs.

Coach Schwery sending the runner, Goodwin, the entire way.

>> Ruled a double for Petersen.

It's an RBI.

>> Excuse me, that was Nielsen.

My score book is all messed up.

>> Well, Nielsen was on on the fielder's choice.

>> Right.

>> You're right, I said Goodwin.

There's another one ripped to Wallace, thrown across the diamond, but not before Audubon scores another run.

Scoring was Mattie Nielsen on an RBI double by Taryn Petersen.

And this one has gotten to be a pretty interesting ball game as Porsch grounds out.

And Audubon leads 3-1 in this Class 2 A state championship game.

Joining us now is head coach Andrea Schwery.

Coach, your team up 3-1.

Feeling pretty good.

What's going right for you?

>> Just being aggressive on the bases, being patient in the box, made them switch their pitcher early so we need to make them pay now.

We can't let up.

We've seen got three and a half innings to play.

They are a good hitting team, they are number one for a reason.

We have to add runs every inning as much as we can and keep playing good defense behind Riley.

They're going to give a run and we have to hold them and respond as well.

>> Real quick on Riley Miller, what's she doing well?

>> Trusting her pitches, moving it, keeping it on their toes, mixing it up and trusting herself.

J.P. is doing a good job of catching her, she had a foul ball for a strikeout, that's huge when we can get those.

>> Thank you, coach.

>> Thank you.

>> Andrea Schwery, head coach of the Wheelers.

Hit them hard, be mad is what she said in the postgame and her team has hit the ball hard.

They're put it in play.

Yeah, they have had two errors, but so far it's working on their behalf.

>> Again, I think that they're playing loose and they're excited to be here, they're not letting any kind of pressure of the state tournament game get to them.

>> First pitch popped up to Miller by Maddie Waldorf.

And all of a sudden, lawyer ration you could say that as this game progresses and you're down 2-19 pressure gets a little bit more and a little bit more around Van Meter.

>> Yeah, you've been in this position, you were here a year ago with a runner up and you've been looking for that opportunity to get back to this ball game because coach Flaws said that loss last year stuck with them.

That was the biggest motivating factor this season.

>> Cali Karaidos bats here, the pitch from Miller coming, inside.

I asked a couple players from Van Meter how long between when that last out was made and you watched the replay of that state championship game?

A couple of them said right away, almost within hours.

The pitch is outside.

Same question to coach Flaws, how long did it be before you watched.

He said I haven't watched it all.

He said I can relive and play that game back play by play by play.

>> I'm sure he can and a lot of coaches can do that, too, because they remember every single play, every single turning point in a ball game.

>> Grounded towards third, Brooks across to Obermeier for the out.

And the wheels keep turning here.

Two away in the fourth.

>> Karaidos made it very close down at first base.

That's a long throw from where Brooks fielded that ball, across the diamond, but able to get it there in time.

>> Kennedy Wiedman to bat from the left side.

That lefty slapper, pushes it towards third, Brooks has to hustle, not in time.

That is some incredible speed right there.

That's almost state track championship speed.

>> I think it is state track championship play.

Put it in play, put your head down, get down the line.

If it takes that long to get down to third base she's going to be that out every single time.

Got to play in a couple steps on her.

>> Bianca Prickett to bat.

Now the pitcher of record.

>> They aren't afraid to steal bases in situations like this, even down 3-1.

They need to get a runner in scoring position.

>> And that pitch is a strike to Prickett.

Two away here in the fourth.

Audubon got two runs in the third and one in the fourth and the pitch is high, throw late down to second.

I'm not sure Porsch -- kind of a delayed steal there by Wiedman.

>> Just kind of looked over at the third base coach, and I saw coach give a little extra signal before the pitch and you kind of felt she was going to be going and she was off with the pitch.

>> The 1-2 is fouled off to the left side, right in the area of where Alice Ruggles waits on deck to bat.

>> Big opportunity right now.

>> And a called third strike on Prickett!

That is her fourth strikeout of the game.

Van Meter leaves one.

And we've played four full innings.

It's 3-1 Audubon.

In this game.

James Flaws joins us now.

Coach, your team keeps fighting, keeps hitting.

What are they doing -- you're getting good jumps and good base running, what's working there in the offense?

>> Been able to steal bases but we have to get some hits.

We haven't put the ball in play very well, striking out looking, striking out swinging at rise balls.

We have to do a better job having disciplined at-bats.

Watching the good ones ands swinging at the bad once.

We have to make an adjustment.

>> Made a pitching game in the ball game.

What are you looking for from Prickett.

>> We have to make them field the ball.

We might go back but we'll see.

>> Appreciate your time, coach, thank you.

>> Thank you.

>> Coach James Flaws and his father, Jim, last night, Carlisle, won the state 4A championship and a long game that happened here.

Not as long as the 5A game.

>> No.

Both good games, though.

Both really good games.

>> And that first game was really good here today and this one is cooking along at a 3-1 clip in the fifth.

3 listen 3-2 for the visiting Audubon Wheelers and Van Meter in blue.

Lots of red in the stands, Laura.

There is a lot of Audubon enthusiasm in this game.

>> First time at state for the softball team.

First time to be able to play for a state title.

A lot of folks in town are coming out to support their team.

>> We have a time called for just a moment.

That's the catcher time and then we'll get going again.

Audubon, EHK in in combined sharing agreement for girls sports except volleyball for the foreseeable future.

Miller.

Pitcher of record right now, she struck out four.

Good contact hitter, multisport athlete.

Hits it in the air towards right.

Going over is Vaught, but actually making the catch is Schnell in right.

One away in the fifth.

Alexis Obermeier to bat now.

Her father Chris coaching down at first.

Obermeier pops it up right over at third, coming in is Wallace, she actually hops the bag and the line to make the play.

A couple of pitches and a couple of outs.

>> That's sometimes hard to do as the third base -- you've got a lot of obstacles over there.

You have to know where your feet is, know where the bag is, not trip over it, keep your eye on the ball.

>> There's coach Obermeier.

He was actually named the head coach back in January when it was going to just be Audubon.

When she decided to do the sharing agreement that's when they named coach Schwery and she was like she's a fantastic coach.

This has worked out well.

He wasn't want to go do that job but he was happy to be an assistant.

>> And it's worked out.

They are a great combination together.

They've done a good job of getting this team to this point in year number one of the co-op.

>> Pitch from Prickett is a strike.

To Addie Hocker, who had a single to left back in the third and a strikeout in the second.

Bats here in the fifth.

Offspeed pitch is chopped foul just out of the outstretched arm of Cali Richards.

Cali Richards' sister Bailey used to be the pitcher for Van Meter.

Bailey now the head coach at balllard.

So very similar to the rose from Assumption or the Nigeys one was a catcher, one was a pitcher.

This one fouled off Richards' right foot.

>> And Bailey is also an assistant at D Mack as well.

The ball lard head coach and assistant with D Mack.

Getting a lot of opportunity to coach a lot of Iowa girls which is kind of fun.

>> Plenty of coaches here this week.

Not as many come to the championship game because they don't get to see quite as many players but, man, on quarters and semis there were a lot here.

Outside pitched ball, 2-2.

>> Why wouldn't you be as a college coach?

There's so much talent top to bottom, all classes.

I mean, I know we have talked about and seen all the players that are going on to continue their career in college.

>> Smacked foul and just out of the reach of Wallace.

She needed a couple more steps and a couple -- a couple more steps.

This will be pitch number eight of this at-bat.

For Addie Hocker.

2-2.

Offspeed swung on and missed.

Strikeout number five.

As the Wheelers go in order.

We go to the bottom of the fifth.

Still a 3-1 lead.

There's a look at that pitch again.

Just took enough of it.

>> Kind of drops right at the knees and drops out of the zone.

>> They're advantage for Van Meter because it's time to stretch.

Standing for Audubon as well here this afternoon.

♪ Take me out to the ball game ♪ ♪ 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 one, two, three strikes you're out ♪ ♪ At the old ball game ♪♪♪ >> Fans of all ages are pretty excited about this one.

Give us a clap.

Can you give us a clap?

>> Come on.

>> Come on, give grandma a clap.

Fans are excited here.

This one been moving along, Laura, 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth.

Pitching was something we talked about a couple of errors have made a difference in this ball game.

What else has stood out to you?

>> I think just the fact, you know, errors aside, defense has been pretty good, but the pitchers have really locked in, have given up a couple of hits but not many.

I mean, three hits and one hit.

So they're making the most of their opportunities when they have gotten them.

You get on base, you use your speed to your advantage, try to manufacture runs and that's what they've done.

There's our noise maker.

>> We can hear it down here.

That is for certain.

And now Alice Ruggles down 0-2.

Has hit some power this season.

They need even a solo shot right now makes this thing interesting.

It's Ruggles, Schnell and Netten due up for the Bulldogs.

The pitch.

High speed and not only did it hit the light behind us, it spun that thing around like a top.

That got hit last night, too.

>> Kevin -- we're going to have to have Kevin come out and fix it.

>> Call maintenance.

>> You know, the look on Ruggles' face after that ball game when they won on the walk off, she came off the field and she was in tears.

She was so excited.

It was tears of joy.

I went up to her and I said how excited.

She goes, can't you tell?

I'm so excited.

Just the tears rolling down her face.

>> That one gets by Porsch.

And now the count goes full to the junior.

Three balls, two strikes, Miller fires, high, right above the Van Meter on her shirt and Ruggles is excited.

Lead off walk here in the fifth.

>> Good at-bat by Ruggles.

Waited it out, got it full and was able to get that lead off walk.

And this is going to be a good opportunity here for the Bulldogs to see if they can push a run or two across.

>> Coming in to run is Katie Vaught.

Katie Vaught is the -- the flex, so she comes in to run.

Coach calls her a student of the game.

Terrific glove, four-sport athlete, just don't get to have her bat very often.

>> She's won the student of the game.

They say she always knows what's happening in 2A softball.

>> Oh, yeah.

>> Always in the know.

Looking at stats, looking at standings, who is doing what.

So studies the game and knows what's happening in her class.

>> Sounds like a future coach.

>> Absolutely.

>> Or analyst, broadcaster.

>> Yeah.

>> The bunt is down.

Fielded by Miller, it's dropped and it's going to be safe at first.

As Hocker just had that thing kind of bounce awkwardly.

It was kind of a tough throw and Schnell gets the bunt down.

It was fast but it was just a low throw and, boy, I think Hocker might think she actually might have had ahold of it.

>> I know, it was very close.

I thought she reached back down and got it.

>> Probably bunting with this one.

When you get it at one they're probably going four, so make sure you get that out.

>> Coach Schwery real quick, real to the point.

You kind of have to be.

You don't get so much time.

>> And ask on the way by back to the dugout if she did get t didn't have control, and that's what the I'm pure said, just could not get control of that ball to pick it up.

It was very close.

>> Gary Wax told me he was only going to say ball, strike or out on the mic.

He actually -- we caught five extra words from him.

I love to hear the microphones on the umpires, it's always fun to hear more of this game than you normally get to hear.

We're hearing a rally coming from Van Meter right now, they have two on and nobody out and Miller throws a ball high to open it up against the top of the order and Finley Netten.

Maybe this wakes up Van Meter.

Let's see what Netten can do.

She's one of those that watched that title game back, trying to let it not be the same result, puts it down in a bunt, that's going to be a hit every single day, Brooks, no play anywhere.

Netten on to load the bases with nobody out here in the fifth.

>> That was laid down perfectly by Netten.

Just waited until the last minute, got the bat level, dropped it right down the third baseline.

No place for Brooks to go except pick it up and get it back to the circle.

>> And now it's Wallace and you don't have any base, you've got to think if there's somebody that maybe has some extra pop.

This is one of those moments where you think of if you had an absolute power hitter coming up do you think about the whole walk to save a couple of runs?

But at this point you can't down 3-1 really.

>> No, I think you've got to play it out here.

You have a goat to pitch to her, you've got to let the defense do the work.

They're going to be in on the corners a little bit.

>> The first pitch is high to Wallace.

They don't give away state championships, you've got to earn them.

>> You've got to earn them.

>> And it's going to be tough moments like this.

Vaught at third, Schnell at second, Netten at first, the pitch to Wallace, misses.

>> Porsch turns around and asks where was it because she thought it got the top of the zone.

And they said, no, just a little bit out of the zone up.

>> And that pitch is high.

3-0.

>> This is where you have to take a deep breath if you're Miller and just go ahead, put it right down Broadway.

You have to believe that Wallace is taking.

>> Low, gets away.

One run comes, they might wave a second one, but they don't.

Coming in on ball four and scoring is Ruggles to cut the lead to one.

So Wallace reaches on the walk.

Bases are loaded for Cali Richards now.

>> A little huddle to calm everybody down.

>> That's why they give you those conferences.

>> They do.

>> Use them.

>> There's time-outs in basketball.

You've got to take those 30-second time-outs.

>> First pitch strike to Cali Richards.

0 for 1 with a walk and a ground out.

Van Meter scored one in the second.

>> You're hoping for a ground ball here to get the force at home.

>> Hit in the air, popped up on the infield, infield fly, the batter is out, the runners must advance at their own peril.

And that is about -- other than a double play or triple play -- >> Yeah.

>> -- one of the worst outcomes.

More importantly for Audubon they get out number one.

>> Still have to look for the ball in the dirt.

>> And that's a strike to Madeline Waldorf.

>> And they aren't afraid to do that.

I would venture a guess that they may try it again here in this sequence, try to squeeze that run home.

>> Pitch is high and they throw high just in case that's what she's thinking.

>> >> Try to throw it up in the zone when you think somebody is going to try to lay down a bunt to pop it straight up.

>> High again.

>> Porsch tried to sneak that back into the zone, just the quick glove work, tried to bring it back in, see if Gary Wax would make that call.

>> Swung and fouled to the screen above first base.

In front of the Audubon fans that are on the right side of us, as opposed to the fans that are on the right center and center and above.

>> That's right.

>> Porsch readjusts the mask.

It's time to get things set.

Miller looks to her wrist, winds and fires, pitch down the middle, had some spin on t Waldorf spoils it.

>> Challenging Waldorf.

Gave her a pretty good pitch to swing at.

>> And Porsch is looking to the dugout.

I don't know if she agreed with the pitch but the 2-2 is inside, called third strike.

Wow!

>> That is such a huge out right now for Audubon, inside letter high, caught the corner.

That's what they were looking for.

That was a huge pitch.

>> That's like a trick shot in pool right there.

That had some spin coming in, catches the plate, and now two outs after the bases were loaded.

Alley X-rayed dough swings for the fences, the quick throw down third not in time.

Brooks put the tag down but it didn't matter.

>> You have to be careful of that throw, too, in this situation because your backup is off the left field line if that ball gets by Brooks.

>> Nobody wants to make a big play in a state tournament game but that can also give it away, another pitch and now the Audubon faithful make some noise.

As Riley Miller is a strike away from a Houdini.

Miller looks into the dugout, can't quite hear the call, but gets it, throw it, smacked into center, base hit.

One run in, here comes a second, the tag and out at the plate!

Out at the plate!

And Netten argues that she was there or blocked.

Nielsen nails her at the plate!

>> All of that together was just quality softball.

Here is the throw in.

>> Which beat her.

Oh, and she's saying she blocked it.

>> She was blocking the plate is what I think was the argument.

>> That was the argument, yeah.

>> But she did allow her to get to the plate but came across with the tag and that is one heck of a throw from Nielsen out in center field.

But the piece of hitter, the adjustment made at the plate to go up and get that rise ball and hit it on the screws to center field, that was a great adjustment at the plate.

>> So Netten is out, 8-3, Karaidos gets a single and an RBI and it ties this game at three.

So if you are Van Meter, not necessarily lost in all this, but just remember you tied the game, you did what you needed to do and that was tie it up.

We go to the sixth.

Prickett back in the circle.

Michelle Brooks.

First pitch to the Audubon county fair queen was a strike.

She's looking forward to competing at the Iowa State fair.

Just a few short days away.

>> Asked her what she was looking most forward to.

One was meeting new people, other was eating fair food.

Look to go try to beat that out >> Just a step behind but it had enough awkward spin she had a chance there.

So Anna Larsen will come in and bat from the left side.

One out here in the sixth.

First pitch, strike.

>> Where is the momentum right now, Laura?

Is it with -- which team, the blue or the red?

>> I'm going to lean towards the blue right now after the rally they had to tie it up and if they get out of this inning one, two, three, I think it's even more on their side.

>> Rollover out, Larsen, Karaidos to Waldorf, two away.

This is the ninth place hitter, if Goodwin was retired that would bring the top of the order up for Audubon in their seventh.

Due up for Van Meter in their half of the sixth is six, seven, eight.

Let's not wish away anything.

Gemini Goodwin today 0 for 2.

>> That is so good.

Prickett has just -- she's not overpowering with her speed and then when she takes even more off of it it's really -- it's a knee buckler.

>> That's exactly what she just did to Prickett.

The scholar was stumped on that one.

Six strikeouts for Miller.

And you've been hearing it in our broadcast, I'm sure, and fans get excited.

They make noise.

>> Van Meter now needs to carry that wave of momentum into this half of the inning, see if they can push one across and then hold Audubon in the top of the seventh, but it comes down -- you tie it up, it comes down to it's a two-inning game basically.

>> Yeah.

>> Somebody has got to try to score and see if you can get something done in regulation.

>> As we have now pushed past 7:00.

The 1 A championship game is slated to start at 7:30.

As the Audubon fans are staring into the sun now as it gets to be a little bit lower in the sky here and a little brighter, harder to look into, but I'm hearing some coaching from the side saying, hey, get in on Wiedman.

They said she is a slapper.

Corners are in on her.

Oh, unbelievable, right behind the hole left.

I don't think Brooks gets that no matter where she's placed.

>> No.

>> That's just an excellent piece of hitting.

>> It was.

What a lefty slapper does, just places the ball right over the head of the third baseman into lift field and I don't care how close Larsen was playing, that one was going to drop for a base hit no matter what.

>> Lead off aboard for Van Meter here in the sixth.

Bulldogs scored one in the second to strike first, then Audubon with two in the third and one in the fourth.

First pitch is a strike as the bunt is shown by Prickett.

Who is 0 for 2.

Reached on an error and has struck out.

Shows bunt again they're going to throw and that ball is going to go into left field, there's nobody there.

Good hustle by Nielsen because otherwise Wiedman would be standing on third.

She's dancing anyway because she is in scoring position on the potential go ahead run here in the sixth.

>> That went off the bat or the helmet of Prickett on the throw down and they didn't say there was any interference, she was in the box, she wasn't interfering in any way, but that ball careened off of Prickett and that's why it went off into left field.

>> Petersen had left her position to go field the bag and you don't throw it on the short side of the bag, you throw it on the first base side.

The 0-2 high.

Prickett a couple of hits in the quarterfinals, looking for a big one right now.

One ball, two strike pitch.

Popped up, foul back into the net.

>> See what Miller can come up with here, see if she can get a big strike out.

>> Pitch is, again, fouled back.

Near the stomper.

>> Prickett is just a battler.

>> The pitch is pulled foul towards the first base dugout.

>> Up high, down low.

Good control of the bat.

Able to spoil pitches.

>> Pitch number eight of the at-bat is a popped up on the infield, Brooks gets the catch.

One away.

>> Good battle won by Miller, but Prickett fouled off a ton of pitches.

Just could not square that one up.

>> First pitch from Miller to Alice Ruggles is a ball.

Ruggles 0 for 1 and a walk.

>> She's got some pop in that bat, though.

>> Great pitch by Miller for a strike.

One ball, one strike.

Bunt shown, popped up foul.

Don't you love the old bunt for two bases on the -- sometimes you bunt, whoever is at second just runs until they stop you.

Let's see what Wiedman does here.

But it's 1-2.

She's swinging away and she swings right through it, strike three.

>> Asked her to do a couple different things, let her look at one pitch, try to lay it down, the next pitch, and Miller just blows it by her.

A ball that was up in the zone and worked away from Ruggles.

>> You know, that shot what it just looked like?

Kind of looked like the cover of the program here this year.

>> You didn't lean far enough to the left or far enough to the right to be able to get into the picture of the -- that's the program I'm going to save for a long time.

>> And you're signing those in between games.

>> In between.

>> That's what I thought.

>> Swing and a miss by Mady Schnell.

>> Is Schnell do it again?

A little magic for Schnell?

Got a good rip at it this last pitch.

>> She said those first couple of at-bats in that game they were in her head, she just kind of had a different mindset late in the game.

She's thinking I can do it again, right?

>> She said there was a lot going through her mind and -- but the main thing was don't get down, don't let those other at-bats get to you.

Everything is a whole new at-bat every time you go up to the plate.

>> That's also the beauty of this sport and you have to tell young people playing you can't let your previous at-bat bother you.

Every one is your new battle.

The 2-2 is ripped foul.

Down towards first base.

And Hiliary Uhlman is down there coaching.

I think they're been alternating with her and Josh Flaws.

Pretty sure I've seen Josh run by here a couple of times, which is James' cousin, first cousin, not brother.

>> You've got that whole -- we had it down last year, the whole family tree, I think you reconfirmed it.

>> Because you have to remember that Jim, the dad, is a twin.

>> That's right.

>> And that just makes it even more complicated.

But I was going to say earlier James is kind of pulling a move from Jim.

Last night Jim with a quick decision to make changes.

That is one thing of his game that maybe they do talk about around the table.

Well hit in the air, deep to right that has a chance to go and it just did.

Can you believe it?

Maddy smell the eighth grader she walked it off in the semis, she just hit the game go ahead two-run Homer!

>> She thought it was crazy the other night when she hit it and walked it off.

It is crazy right now for Van Meter.

What a swing, what a rip to let -- about the same spot that she hit the one the other night.

And coach said she's been working hard all season long to hit the ball back up the middle into that left -- or that right center gap and that's exactly where she hit it.

>> Wiedman scores on the home run by Schnell, the eighth grader -- eighth grader.

I have an eighth grader at home.

I know what they think.

That's amazing when you see the eight graders play at this stage.

That is awesome.

>> Had not hit a home run all season has hit two here in back to back games.

>> Nielsen and Goodwin just kind of watched that one.

They went back and that helpless, helpless feeling when that ball is going up and over.

And now it's Finley Netten.

>> We see something amazing every single year.

We see a player emerge as a star player, as somebody that's going to have a huge career.

We see all kinds of different things, we get to follow their careers for the next four or five seasons.

Mady Schnell has certainly made an impact early on in her young career.

>> Watching that first base dugout, coach Schwery.

Pitch is high.

Coach Schwery is just thinking, one pitch and we were out of that.

>> And that's exactly it.

Had her down two strikes and she was just able to catch up to that rise ball.

>> I think it hung up just a little bit maybe.

>> Yeah, I think it did.

But Audubon, you know, they have the top of their lineup coming up in the seventh.

>> Miller is shaking off -- shoo she didn't want to throw the pitch.

Netten steps out.

A little cat and mouse.

>> The 3-2 to Netten is popped back into the screen.

Netten is a track state champ.

Said she really had some nerves in that first game of the season and we are still finding the owner, the parent, of this home run ball.

There's -- >> If nobody wants to claim Mady Schnell I will claim her as my own.

>> Riley Miller comes back with a strikeout here.

Strikeout number seven, but the damage is done.

Mady Schnell, there's dad, stand and take a bow, your daughter has had two huge home runs here at state.

Unbelievable the way that one has finished.

You have to be smiling.

This one has been fun to watch so far.

Early on Van Meter scored a couple of errors allowed Audubon to keep that inning again and then Van Meter took advantage when they just couldn't push it across and then a couple of errors on Van Meter allowed one run to score and then it's thrown into the dugout, got past Richards and then she threw it away and then in the fourth Audubon comes back with a double to the outfield by Taryn Petersen to give them the lead.

And then in the sixth Van Meter on a hit that will live on in state tournament lure.

Just like that, Laura, Van Meter 39 wins in a row trying to get number 40.

They're three outs away from doing just that.

>> They've got a tough part of the lineup to try to work around.

Kneels season going to try to set the table.

>> And first pitch swung on, hit towards Wallace, across to Waldorf, out number one.

Mattie Nielsen is out.

And it's Taryn Petersen who had a good hit the last time up.

You just saw in that highlight package, she needs to get on to bring the tying run to the plate.

First pitch off the plate on the change-up.

>> Seven seniors on this Audubon team, brought a couple of seniors over from EXIRA, but five of the seniors have been together since the sixth grade for this Audubon team, trying to make a big come back if they can.

>> They did it the other day in the semifinal.

Down two in their half of the seventh.

1-1 is hit towards short, gloved by Netten, throw across in time.

Netten rifled that thing across for out number two, it's down to Jordan Porsch, the senior.

Softball is a passion for her.

You know she's not wanting to go out.

She'll battle here.

First pitch off the plate.

>> Just look to go try to keep it -- keep it going.

They just need one base runner to bring up the next hitter, the tying run.

>> Next pitch to Porsch misses.

Let's not forget Prickett and the job she has done since coming in in relief here.

Does she have enough to close it out?

>> Two games in a row she has come in and righted the ship.

>> The pitch, chopper again, foul, off of Porsch this time.

>> Two balls and a strike, Prickett's pitch is, again, fouled away.

And Porsch is down to her final strike in this Class 2 A state championship game.

As we move towards 7:30 on this beautiful Friday night, light breeze, gorgeous night for July 26th.

Here is the pitch, ground ball, hit, goes off of Netten's glove, took a heck of a hop and Porsch is not going to drive away into the night here.

Two-out hit to make room for Riley Miller.

>> That was so hard hit and it was one of those in between hops and when it got to Netten it just hopped up over her shoulder.

>> I think Netten is going to see that one in her dreams.

Riley Miller 0 for 2, hits it up the middle, base hit.

The throw to second is not in time.

It was a rocket and now Audubon trying to play cardiac kids yet again.

>> Well, Michelle Brooks told me that Riley Miller is on one of the superstitions she was on an ice cream cone streak.

Has to have vanilla ice cream cone, make it herself.

>> Lucy Stanerson to run.

Let's listen into coach Flaws, he's out there in the circle.

>> Make sure they're playing deep.

One out.

Make them earn it.

Dog on three.

One, two, three.

>> So Stanerson is the courtesy runner at first, she represents the tying run.

The run that you need to get to the tying run is Jordan Porsch, she's at second, the winning run is Alexis Obermeier and she's at the plate right now.

Great crowd on hand here.

Two outs, Van Meter just needs one.

Offspeed, her first pitch is outside for a ball.

Chop tore third, all she has to do is step on the bag and that is a state championship.

Lauren Wallace makes the play, Van Meter rewrites the script from '23 to now say state champion in '24.

>> The celebration in the circle for the Bulldogs, the disappointment on the Wheelers sidelines.

What a ball game between these two teams.

Back and forth.

Audubon had Van Meter on the ropes, but I think the experience of being in this game a year ago helped Van Meter and they were able to come back and grab the lead and hold on.

>> There's a look at the Audubon team and you see some tears streaming down there as they felt all of a sudden that they were still in it right here at the end.

They were in it the whole game.

Let's not say they weren't in it.

This was, as you said, lawyer ration just an -- Laura, just an outstanding game here.

>> Farm bureau representative Brian felt -- posh assisted by Erin GURlick.

Here is your 2024 Class 2 A all tournament team.

From Van Meter, Lauren Wallace.

From Audubon, Taryn Petersen.

From east marshall, Morgan NUROP.

From east marshall, Payton GRABENBAUER.

From Eddieville Blakesburg Fremont, Kate Schaeffer.

From Eddieville Blakesburg Fremont, Megan LODERBRECHT.

From Van Meter, Finley Netten.

From Audubon, Jordan Porsch.

From Van Meter, Kennedy Wiedman.

>> From Audubon, Riley Miller.

And your 2024 Class 2 A all tournament team captain, from Van Meter, Mady Schnell.

>> Not many times, Laura, the ninth place batter is the all tournament captain.

>> And an eighth greater.

>> And an eighth grader.

Mady Schnell is the all tournament captain.

Walk off home run to win in the semifinal, hits the game winning home run in the sixth in the final.

>> Just an amazing performance and all those players on the all tournament team had great tournaments and the softball that we have seen here in week has just been amazing and really great moments that we've seen in all games, this one was the home run as both teams battled so hard and credit to Audubon for their first state appearance and making it all the way to the state title.

>> Presenting awards are members of the IGHSAU board of directors, Ron, Jen, Tanya and Zach.

Congratulations to the runners up in Class 2 A, head coach Andrea Schwery and the Audubon Wheelers on an outstanding 2024 softball season.

And their ticket was punched to get here tonight they redeem their ticket as your 2024 Class 2 A state softball champions, head coach James Flaws and the Bulldogs from Van Meter!

>> Whatever dad does, the kids sometimes want for themselves.

Jim Flaws for Carlisle wins the state title, today his son wins a state title as the head coach of Van Meter.

Congratulations to them.

40 consecutive wins, Laura, to end it for Van Meter.

>> That's a -- definitely a great season, a great way to end it.

They were runner up a year ago, champions this year.

DRNKS to Audubon to making it to the state title game as well.

>> So long from 2A.

1a next on Iowa PBS and all 99 counties.

We will see you in a bit.

Congratulations, Van Meter.

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