Regals wear the crown in Class 2A

FORT DODGE - It was a high-risk, high-reward endeavor.

This time, the reward was worth it.

Kennedy Brown turned a delayed steal of third base into the go-ahead run, and 10th-ranked Iowa City Regina went on to defeat No. 14 Cascade, 2-0, for the Class 2A softball championship Friday morning at the Rogers Sports Complex.

Standing on second base with two outs in the sixth inning, Brown took off for third on the return throw from catcher Lisa Tucker to pitcher Lynsey Dolphin.

'I was really anxious about it, but I watched their pitcher, and every time she caught the ball from the catcher, she would turn to the right,” Brown said.

'I knew if I got a big lead, I would have time to go to third.”

The throw from Dolphin to Laura Kremer was wide of the mark at third base, allowing Brown to score.

Regina (26-14) got an insurance run shortly thereafter, when Sarah Lehman drove in Madi Scott, who had followed Brown's dash with a double.

The championship was Regina's second; the Regals also reigned in 2011.

'It's a great feeling,” Brown said. 'A state championship in my favorite sport.”

Lehman struck out 12 and was named the all-tournament captain.

'We didn't start hitting until the end,” Lehman said. 'Our defense ... I can always count on our defense to pick me up.”

The game was an encounter between River Valley Conference foes. And like they did in the regular season, the Regals prevailed.

It was scoreless through five innnigs, and actually, it was Cascade (24-11) with the most serious threat before Regina eventually broke through.

The Cougars got back-to-back singles from Chloe Rea and Lexi Weber in the bottom of the fourth, and a sacrifice bunt by Laura Kremer moved the runners up a base with one out. But Lehman was able to bear down and retire the side.

'She's a good pitcher. Give her all the credit,” Tucker said. 'She kept us off-balance and guessing what was coming next.

'Still, this was an amazing experience. I never dreamed we could get to the state finals.”

Regina's Brown, Scott and Lauren Clapp joined Lehman on the all-tournament team. So did Dolphin, Tucker and Kremer for the Cougars.

The Regals' baserunners periodically took large uncommonly large secondary leads. Then, when the right moment came, Brown took off.

'When we're at first base going to second, Coach (Jon Prottsman) calls (the delayed steal),” Brown said. 'When we're at second going to third, he lets us do it when the time is right.”

Prottsman earned his 200th win at Regina.

IOWA CITY REGINA 2, CASCADE 0

Class 2A State Championship, at Fort Dodge

Iowa City Regina 000 002 0 - 2 5 0

Cascade 000 000 0 - 0 3 3

Sarah Lehman and Morgan Goedken. Lynsey Dolphin and Lisa Tucker. W - Lehman (17-8). L - Dolphin (12-5).

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com