Twin Cedars breaks through in the 8th inning, edges Lisbon as state softball tournament

Twin Cedars breaks through in the 8th inning, edges Lisbon at state softball tournament

Grace Bailey pitches a 4-hit shutout and hits the game-winning home run

Jul. 19, 2022 10:44 pm, Updated: Jul. 20, 2022 9:42 am

Lisbon’s Ella Clark (1) and Ryleigh Allgood (32) react after Twin Cedars’ Grace Bailey hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning of their Class 1A quarterfinal at the state softball tournament Tuesday at the Rogers Sports Complex, Fort Dodge. Twin Cedars won, 2-0. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

Lisbon’s Peyton Robinson (7) tries to corral a throw as Twin Cedars’ Rylee Dunkin (1) steals second base in the eighth inning. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

FORT DODGE — A sacrifice fly would have done the trick.

“Rylee (Dunkin) was already at third (base), and she’s really fast,” Grace Bailey said. “I just wanted to put it deep so she could score.”

She put it deep, all right.

Bailey clobbered a two-run home run to left-center field in the eighth inning to lift seventh-ranked Twin Cedars past No. 3 Lisbon, 2-0, in a Class 1A quarterfinal at the state softball tournament Tuesday night at the Rogers Sports Complex.

“We came up here with an attitude,” said Dunkin, the Sabers’ energetic junior catcher. “We haven’t been here in 44 years. Nobody knows who Twin Cedars is, and we want to change that.

“We want to win a state title.”

» State softball photos: Lisbon vs. Twin Cedars

The Sabers (27-3) face No. 8 Martensdale-St. Marys (25-3) in a 1A semifinal at 7:30 Wednesday night. MSM pulled a surprise of its own Tuesday, knocking off defending champion Newell-Fonda, 7-2.

After four consecutive years in the semifinals (it was the runner-up last year), Lisbon (35-5) will face Newell-Fonda (35-5) in a consolation game at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

“You’re not going to win every game,” Lisbon’s Peyton Robinson said. “We’re going to come back and give 110 percent (Wednesday).”

Bailey (18-3) and Lisbon’s Ryleigh Allgood (26-3) exchanged zeros through regulation.

Stuck with just two hits through the first five innings, Lisbon had good opportunities in the sixth and seventh.

“We had a couple of good chances there,” Lisbon Coach Bob Bunting said. “We had kids in position.”

The Lions loaded the bases without the benefit of a hit in the sixth. Robinson led off by reaching on an error. Kali Nelson was hit by a pitch with one out, and Allgood was intentionally walked with two outs.

But Bailey induced a ground out from Addi Petersen to end the threat.

Chloe Clausen singled with one out in the seventh and moved to second on Gabi Moehlman’s sacrifice bunt. The Sabers intentionally passed Robinson before Mia Petersen grounded out.

“I was frustrated that they walked me, but it’s part of the game,” Robinson said. “I wish I could have hit in that situation because I feel good under pressure.”

Dunkin drew a leadoff walk in the eighth, stole second and scampered to third when the throw went to the outfield.

With one out, Bailey delivered on the first pitch.

“I hadn’t gotten on most of the night. It was time to come up big,” Bailey said.

Bailey held the Lions to four hits. She struck out only two, but her changeup kept the Lions off balance.

“She had a great change,” Bunting said. “We just couldn’t hold up.”

Allgood said, “We practiced against the change, but couldn’t catch up to what she had.”

Lisbon returns eight starters for 2023. Mia Petersen is the lone senior on the roster.