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Libby Winters’ 7th-inning heroics send PCM past West Liberty in 3A quarterfinal
Mustangs trailed 4-2 before Winters’ triple, scores winning run on error
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FORT DODGE — When PCM needed her most, Libby Winters delivered.
With the sixth-ranked Mustangs trailing 4-2 with one out in the bottom of the of seventh inning, Winters produced the game-winning hit on a hard line-drive triple to center field for a thrilling 5-4 victory over No. 7 West Liberty in a Class 3A state softball quarterfinal Monday night at Rogers Park in Fort Dodge.
“Going up to the plate, it was really nice to have two girls already on,” Winters said. “My other at-bats (three singles) weren’t very hard contact balls, so I was just trying to not swing at her change-up and get a weird popup.”
Winters’ hit brought in two and after an errant throw to third, she raced home for the game-winning run. Then the celebration was on.
“It was a really great feeling to celebrate with everyone,” Winters said on the celebration at home plate. “Although I did get tackled,” she jokingly added.
PCM (26-4) will face No. 1 Dubuque Wahlert (36-7) in a semifinal matchup at 2:30 Wednesday afternoon.
Most of the drama in this game waited for the final two innings, as both defenses played clean and made all the plays.
West Liberty struck first in the third on an RBI single from Jayleen Kivi.
The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the sixth.
A couple of singles and a sacrifice bunt set up a two-RBI single from Hadley Millang, giving PCM a 2-1 lead heading to the seventh.
West Liberty did not go out without a fight.
A leadoff double from Pearson Hall started what became a three-run seventh from the Comets.
Mallory Wulf brought in two on a double and Kylee Daufeldt added one more on a single, and the Comets led 4-2 heading into the bottom of the inning.
“Our girls never say die,” Comets Coach Trisha Hall said on the three-run seventh. “They never think we can’t do this.”
A single and walk set up Winters’ walk-off in the bottom of the seventh.
“It was just a hard-hit ball that was misplayed a bit,” Coach Hall said. “Stuff like that happens.”
In their first state appearance since 2021, West Liberty (22-8) will face Center Point-Urbana (25-13) in a consolation game at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.
“It means the world we fought as hard as we did to get here,” senior Pearson Hall said. “This game did not go the way we want, but I’m so beyond proud of our team for getting back here.”
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