After three regular-season losses to Beckman, it’s all Cascade this time

DYERSVILLE — Bailey Clemens was a sophomore first baseman the last time this happened, 10 years ago.

Her advice to her team?

“Soak it all in,” she said. “Play loose. Play our ball.”

It served them well Monday night. Very well.

No. 11 Cascade smoked three home runs and drubbed No. 10 Dyersville Beckman, 13-3, in a four-inning Class 2A softball regional final at Beckman Catholic High School.

“We wanted it,” winning pitcher Kate Green said. “We were ready from the first pitch, and it clearly showed from the first inning.

“We just had fun. We were loose.”

The Cougars (20-9) avenged three regular-season losses to their archrivals, and advanced to the state tournament for the first time since 2015.

They’ll face No. 3 West Lyon (28-1) in the first round at 3 p.m. next Tuesday at the Rogers Sports Complex, Fort Dodge.

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“It’s real, but it hasn’t processed yet,” said Josie Manternach, who hit the first of the Cougars’ three bombs.

Cascade scored four runs in the first inning, six in the second. After Beckman (21-16) got within 10-3 in the third inning, the Cougars put the “10-after-4” run rule into play behind fourth-inning homers from Kennedy Simon (her first of the season) and Ella Nauman.

“(The early run support) was huge,” Green said. “As a pitcher, there’s a lot of pressure. Our team pulled through. We played for each other.

“I was crying. It’s so incredible. My emotions are confused. I didn’t want this to be our last game.”

Manternach said, “We got on them early. We got up there, and we knew we could hit.”

With two on and two outs in the top of the first, the Cougars recorded four consecutive base hits — singles from Green and Ashlyn Schockemoehl, doubles from Manternach and Ava Lawler — for a quick 4-0 advantage.

Beckman failed to score in the bottom of the first despite three hits and an error, then the Cougars went back to work.

Green’s double scored two, Manternach’s homer added two more, and it was 10-0.

Nauman was hit by pitch in her first two at-bats, walked in her third. Her fourth plate appearance was a two-run homer to push the advantage to 13-3, then the Cougars got the requisite three outs to make an early night of it.

“Losing to them three times, it was tough,” Nauman said. “We had to come out strong. We knew we had it in us.”

The Cougars advance to state in Clemens’ first year as head coach at her alma mater. She graduated from Cascade in 2017.

“It’s everybody’s dream, everybody’s goal to go to Fort Dodge,” Clemens said. “We were prepared, and the girls played like they had nothing to lose.”

Cascade 13, Dyersville Beckman 3

Class 2A Regional Final, at Dyersville

Cascade 460 3 — 13 10 3

Beckman 003 0 — 3 6 1

Kate Green and Ella Nauman. Hannah Schlichte, Claire Karcher (2) and Bri Blush, Olivia Tobin-Post (2). W — Green (12-5). L — Schlichte (12-8). HR — Cascade: Josie Manternach (7), Kennedy Simon (1), Nauman (2).

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com