Assumption ends Benton’s run in the 3A state softball semifinals, 10-7

FORT DODGE — They didn’t make it all the way back.

But, boy, the Benton Bobcats gave it a go.

“A lot of the parents call us the Heart Attack ‘Cats,” Emma Townsley said. “We always have that fight.”

Fifth-ranked Davenport Assumption exploded for seven runs in the top of the fifth inning and held off No. 1 Benton Community, 10-7, in a Class 3A semifinal Wednesday afternoon at the Rogers Sports Complex.

“You’ve got to score runs to win, and we got one after another. It was contagious,” said Assumption’s Kathryn Snyder, who had a two-run single in the pivotal fifth. “We were getting single after single there for a while.”

Assumption (27-12) earned a 2:30 p.m. date Friday with No. 2 Williamsburg (32-12) in the championship game. The defending-champion Raiders edged No. 3 Dubuque Wahlert, 3-2.

For the span of about 10 glorious minutes, Benton (32-8) had a glimpse of the finals. Jessa DeMoss smoked a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning for a 2-0 lead.

But the good vibes clouded over quickly.

Assumption brought 12 batters to the plate in the top of the fifth, and the Knights recorded those seven runs on five hits and three errors.

“There are a lot of plays we wish we had back,” Benton Coach Jordon Rettenmeier said. “Assumption’s a good team. They like small ball, and they executed better today than we did.”

Assumption tacked on three runs in the sixth for a 10-2 lead, and a blowout appeared imminent.

Not so fast.

Hannah Greiner drove in a run with a double. Ana Glawe knocked in two with a single, then DeMoss followed with her second two-run homer.

“I was seeing beach balls up there (at the plate),” DeMoss said. “I had that much confidence.”

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Photos: Benton vs. Davenport Assumption in Class 3A state softball semifinals

Benton will face Wahlert (30-11) in the 3A third-place game at 1 p.m. Friday.

“It’s been a great season, the best we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Townsley said. “Our first goal was to get here. Our second was to be playing in the championship game, and we didn’t quite make it.”

Both teams rapped 11 hits in a game that lasted 2 hours, 26 minutes. That was four minutes short of the all-time tournament record for a seven-inning game.

Davenport Assumption 10, Benton Community 7

Class 3A State Semifinal, at Fort Dodge

Davenport Assumption 000 073 0 — 10 11 0

Benton Community 000 205 0 — 7 11 3

Molly Roe and Charlotte Nigey. Jessa DeMoss, Brynlee Seeck (5), DeMoss (6) and Ana Glawe. W — Roe (16-7). L — DeMoss (20-4). HR — DeMoss 2 (6).

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com