Wednesday’s 2A district softball quarterfinal doubleheader in Pocahontas began with a 13-10 victory for Emmetsburg over Sioux Central in a game that featured four lead changes and 30 hits.
The Rebels led 3-2 after an inning and 7-5 after three. Natalie Laursen and Ava McCarty had RBI doubles in the 1st, and Kailee Laursen had an RBI single. Sioux Central batted around in the 3rd as Bradi Krager and Avery Wilson had RBI singles, and Emma Smith drove in two runs with a single. Wilson had another RBI single in the 4th to tie the score at 8-8. The Rebels’ first eight runs all scored with two outs.
The E-Hawks scored two in the 5th and three in the 7th. Sioux Central scored two in their half of the 7th on back-to-back triples to start the inning by Wilson and Smith, and then a groundout by Krager. Following an out, Nichole Hart doubled, and with the potential tying run on deck, a groundout ended the game.
Emmetsburg advances with a record of 11-15, while Sioux Central concludes at 21-7. Rebels coach Kasey Krager talked afterward…
The nightcap was a tight game until Maple Valley Anthon Oto-Charter Oak Ute exploded for seven runs in the top of the 7th in their 12-4 win over Pocahontas Area.
Poky opened the scoring with a 1st inning sacrifice fly RBI by Halee Hauswirth. MVAO-COU tied it in the 2nd, but the Indians answered with a 2nd inning run as Juliann Welander scored from third base on a double steal. A two-run homer by Reagan Seuntjens in the 3rd put the Rams up 3-2. Poky regained the lead with two in the 3rd including a sac fly RBI by Lauren Hoover. MVAO-COU went ahead for good with two in the 5th, then sent ten batters to the plate in the 7th to break it open.
Hoover went the distance for Poky and had eight strikeouts. The Indians wrap up at 17-10. MVAO-COU (19-11) will play Emmetsburg in a region semifinal on Friday at 5pm in Fonda. After that game, Newell Fonda will host Akron Westfield in a 1A region semifinal at 7pm.
