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Ava Husak pitches (and hits) No. 1 North Polk past Western Dubuque in state softball quarterfinals
Junior star tosses a 2-hitter, drills a 3-run homer to send the Comets to the 4A semifinals
Jul. 22, 2024 8:07 pm, Updated: Jul. 22, 2024 8:30 pm
FORT DODGE — Western Dubuque got a fluky, goofy, early run.
After that? Not much.
North Polk pitcher Ava Husak settled down quickly and crafted a two-hitter, and also supplied a dagger three-run home run. That was more than enough to send the top-ranked Comets past No. 9 Western Dubuque, 7-2, in a Class 4A quarterfinal at the state softball tournament Monday night at the Rogers Sports Complex.
The Comets (37-4) will face Raccoon River Conference rival Adel ADM (30-9) in a 4A semifinal at 12:45 Wednesday afternoon.
Western Dubuque (30-10) struck first, in unconventional fashion.
Carson Koerperich rapped a leadoff single and stole second base. With two outs, Kiya Steger struck out, but reached on a wild pitch. Koerperich came all the way around from second to score on the play.
And that was the end of the Bobcats’ offensive highlights, until the seventh inning. Steger led off the top of the last inning with a home run.
In one stretch, Husak (28-4) retired 12 straight batters.
North Polk, which does not have a senior on its roster, squared the score in the bottom of the first when Maddy Klever was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. In the third, Lucy Lucas put the Comets in front with an RBI double.
Husak’s bomb — her 13th of the year — blew it open in the fourth.
Western Dubuque will meet No. 6 Fort Dodge (30-13) in a consolation game at 12:45 Tuesday afternoon. And that will conclude the Bobcats’ third state trip in four years.
The Bobcats were 4A champions in 2021.
North Polk 7, Western Dubuque 2
Class 4A State Quarterfinal, at Fort Dodge
Western Dubuque 100 000 1 — 2 2 2
North Polk 101 410 x — 7 10 2
Kiya Steger, Baylee Neyen (5) and Kaitlyn Thole. Ava Husak and Lucy Lucas. W — Husak (28-4). L — Steger (15-3). HR — WD: Kiya Steger (3), NP: Husak (13).
Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com
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