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Back-and-forth 2A first-rounder goes West Lyon’s way at the end
Third-rated Wildcats rally past Cascade, 10-8, behind two runs in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth
Jul. 22, 2025 5:47 pm, Updated: Jul. 22, 2025 6:37 pm
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FORT DODGE — Disappointment is one thing, heartbreak another.
For the Cascade Cougars, this fit the first category, and the first category only.
“Obviously, we’re disappointed,” Josie Manternach said after the 11th-ranked Cougars fell to No. 3 West Lyon, 10-8, in a Class 2A quarterfinal at the state softball tournament Tuesday afternoon at the Rogers Sports Complex.
“We could have been the ones moving on.”
The Cougars certainly had the offense for it. Manternach’s first-inning grand slam highlighted an 11-hit attack.
“Usually that’s enough to win,” first year head coach Bailey Clemens said. “If we would have gotten outside our heads a little better and cleaned up the defense, it could have been a different story.”
Instead, West Lyon (29-1) won its opening-round game for the first time since a runner-up finish in the 1977 fall tournament. The Wildcats will face No. 2 Louisa-Muscatine (30-6) in a 2A semifinal at 5:15 Wednesday afternoon.
“We needed to treat this as just another game and stay positive,” said West Lyon’s Jessa Ciesielski, who drove in four runs, including the go-ahead two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Ciesielski also cracked a two-run home run that capped West Lyon’s six-run first inning.
That came on the heels of Manternach’s slam. Yes, it was 6-4 after both teams batted once.
“Both teams had a lot of hits,” Cascade’s Addison Frake said. “We fell short today, but it was great to be here.”
West Lyon banged out 15 hits, Cascade 11 in a game that lasted 1 hour, 56 minutes.
Manternach’s blast was her eighth of the season. She also homered in the Cougars’ regional-final win last week.
“This was one of those hits, it might be out, it might be short,” Manternach said. “As I was rounding first and it went out, it was a really good feeling.”
Ava Lawler’s two-run double in the third inning got the Cougars square at 6-6, then Ashlyn Schockemoehl provided a two-run double in the fourth that put them in front, 8-6.
But the Wildcats tied it with a pair of fifth-inning tallies, then Ciesielski put them ahead for good.
A junior, Frake has been in state competition in three sports — basketball, track and softball.
Cascade will face No. 15 West Monona (29-7) in a 2A consolation game at 12:15 Wednesday afternoon.
West Lyon 10, Cascade 8
Class 2A State Quarterfinal, at Fort Dodge
Cascade 402 200 0 — 8 11 2
West Lyon 600 022 x — 10 15 1
Kate Green, Ashlyn Schockemoehl (5) and Ella Nauman. Jersey Hawf and Ella Langenhorst. W — Hawf (19-1). L — Schockemoehl (8-5). HR — Cascade: Josie Manternach (8), WL: Jessa Ciesielski (1).
Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com
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