Lisbon advances to state softball semifinals behind another Skylar Sadler shutout

FORT DODGE — Get a run, you've got a chance.

With Skylar Sadler in the circle, a good chance.

Sadler extended her postseason scoreless string to 33 innings, and second-ranked Lisbon edged Wayne, 1-0, in a Class 1A quarterfinal at the state softball tournament Monday afternoon at Rogers Sports Complex.

'Our defense is so strong,' Sadler said. 'I trust them so much. If somebody gets on, I have no worries about them scoring.'

A pair of bloop hits in the fourth inning accounted for the game's lone run, and Lisbon (33-6) advanced to the semifinals for the second straight year. The Lions will face No. 3 Clarksville (32-1) — a 5-0 winner over Algona Garrigan — at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

A senior who will pitch at Central College next year, Sadler (23-2) has thrown nothing but zeroes all postseason.

She threw seven shutout innings against Easton Valley, six against Don Bosco. Then came the marathon, a 13-inning gem against Belle Plaine in a 1-0 regional-final win.

Wayne (23-9) had its opportunities. The Falcons had two baserunners in the first, fourth, fifth and seventh innings, but Sadler and the Lions denied them each time.

In the seventh, Mya Willey doubled with one out. After Jaide Harvey grounded to third for the second out, Lisbon Coach Bob Bunting walked to the mound.

Leadoff hitter Sterling Berndt was up next, and she was 2-for-3.

'I asked what (Sadler) thought, and she agreed we should walk (Berndt),' Bunting said.

Bunting was asked what his response would had been had Sadler wanted to pitch to Berndt.

He smiled.

'I'd have walked her anyway,' he said.

Berndt got her free pass, then Sadler got Raegan Tilley to fly out on the next pitch, and the Lions advanced.

Sam Schrantz started Lisbon's scoring rally by lofting a pop-up that landed between the pitcher and catcher with one out in the fourth. Then, after a sacrifice bunt by McKenna Nelson and a walk to Grace Clark, Sam Bennett's looping single to right field chased Schrantz home.

'I had a job to do, and I had to get it done,' Bennett said. 'I usually don't watch the ball when I hit it, but I watched that one. It got down and I thought, 'Oh, yeah.''

That was the last of the Lions' three hits.

The Lions got to the semifinals last year, lost to eventual champion Collins-Maxwell, then regrouped to finish third.

'We were really excited to get here last year,' Sadler said. 'This year, we want more.'

LISBON 1, WAYNE 0

1A State Quarterfinal, at Fort Dodge

Wayne 000 000 0 — 0 4 1

Lisbon 000 100 x — 1 3 1

Sterling Berndt and Camryn Jacobsen. Skylar Sadler and Reegan Happel. W — Sadler (23-2). L — Berndy (21-8).

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com