Leo could relax: Lisbon beats Clarksville, 4-1, in Class 1A regional final softball game

LISBON — Leo sat on a stool in the home team’s dugout. Actually laid down on a stool in the home team’s dugout.

The Lisbon High School official softball Rally Lion might have still been wiped out by that come-from-behind win his girls got in their previous game.

He did a great job pushing them to get two runs in bottom of the eighth inning to overcome Springville’s upset bid in a regional semifinal. Monday night, he wasn’t needed nearly as much, as third-ranked Lisbon scored four times in the third inning and went on to beat No. 9 Clarksville, 4-1, in a Class 1A regional final at Bunting Field.

That’s five straight state tournament appearances for Lisbon, which will take the third seed and 35-4 record to Fort Dodge next week. The quarterfinal opponent will be sixth-seeded Twin Cedars (26-3) in a 7:30 p.m. game Tuesday, July 19.

“I’m ready,” said Lisbon pitcher Ryleigh Allgood. “Ready to defeat whoever comes our way.”

And ready to bring Leo The Rally Lion on the trip. He’ll be decked out with sunglasses, jeans, a homemade white T-shirt with the word “Yeehaw!” written on it and a microphone in his left paw.

“He has a whole wardrobe, black cleats, everything,” said Lisbon catcher Blair Baltes. “He’s just our little mascot, goes everywhere with us. We love him, love to dress him up.”

Baltes had a big two-out, two-run double that ran the left-center gap and to the fence to bring home Lisbon’s first two runs in the tell-tale third. A pair of dropped fly balls by Clarksville’s left fielder helped score the first two.

These teams met in last year’s state tournament, with Lisbon 10-running Clarksville. This wasn’t that game.

Lisbon managed just three hits against Clarksville pitcher Sierra Vance. Clarksville had both of its hits, singles, in the third inning.

Allgood got out of a two-on, one-out dangerous situation with back-to-back popouts to short. Clarksville (19-3) got an unearned run in the fourth on two fielding errors and two passed balls.

“We struggled a little bit against Springville. It was not our best defensive effort by any means,” said Lisbon Coach Bob Bunting. “But the kids were great about just focusing. One big inning, and once we got up four runs, I think it just relieved our defense ... and helped Ryleigh finish it off.”

“We just came into this game to play, and whatever happened was going to happen,” said Allgood, who didn’t walk anyone and and struck out seven. “We did very well as a team.”

Leadoff hitter Peyton Robinson had the other two Lisbon hits. Clarksville’s Vance walked three and struck out two.

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