After 2 state softball nail-biters, North Linn closes with a no-doubter for Class 1A championship

FORT DODGE — How sore was it?

“When I had my adrenaline going, not so much,” Ellie Flanagan said. “When I ran to first base, that was tough.”

And when it came time for a celebration in the circle, there was no hobble at all.

Less than two weeks after suffering a knee injury, Flanagan put a bow on a spectacular state softball tournament, firing a one-hitter in second-ranked North Linn’s 6-0 conquest of No. 1 Martensdale-St. Marys in the Class 1A championship game Friday night at the Rogers Sports Complex.

“I just wanted to be there for my team,” said Flanagan, the 1A all-tournament captain. “There are a lot of special people on this team, and it worked out.”

Skylar Benesh hit a pair of home runs, and the Lynx capped a 39-6 campaign, earning their third championship in five years. They were 2A champions in 2019 and 2021.

“I just tried to go up there calm and collected,” Benesh said. “As the visitors, we wanted to get on the board, and I wanted to do my job.”

Benesh was 3-for-4. She led off the game with a single, and got the Lynx rolling.

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She moved to second on Kenzie Bridgewater’s sacrifice bunt and scored on Flanagan’s single. Courtesy runner Samantha West tallied on Kylie Munson’s bunt to make it 2-0.

Benesh smoked a solo blast to lead off the third, then hit another with one out in the fourth.

“We talked to Skylar about not trying to press,” Lynx Coach Chad Spore said. “(MSM pitcher Campbell German) liked to start with a high pitch at the top of the strike zone. That wasn’t called a strike tonight, and that made her come down a little bit.

“That worked out well for Skylar.”

Benesh joined Flanagan on the all-tournament team, along with Bridgewater and Jersey Peyton.

North Linn gave up one run in 22 innings here this week, committing one error in the three games. The middle infield of Benesh and Bridgewater, in particular, was brilliant.

The Lynx played a pair of nail-biters (1-0 over Sigourney, 2-1 over Clarksville). This was a no-doubter.

Martensdale-St. Marys (27-7) managed just two baserunners against Flanagan: Ellie Baker walked with one out in the bottom of the first, then laid down a bunt single to open the seventh,

“Ellie pitched fantastic,” Benesh said. “And we had her back every single pitch.”

In addition to the three odd-numbered-year titles, the Lynx were second in 2A in 2020 and fourth in 1A last year.

“Our community takes its sports seriously. People teach their kids to work hard,” Spore said. “We have multi-sport kids, and when they’re out there, they’re not scared.”

North Linn 6, Martensdale-St. Marys 0

Class 1A State Championship, at Fort Dodge

North Linn 203 100 0 -- 6 8 0

Martensdale-St. Marys 000 000 0 -- 0 1 0

Ellie Flanagan and Jersey Peyton. Campbell German and Sydney Bears. W -- Flanagan (26-3). L -- German (13-5). HR -- NL: Skylar Benesh 2 (16).

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com

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