Puk pushes Warriors past City High

CEDAR RAPIDS - Phrases like 'heart-stopping” and 'breath-taking” are commonly tossed about in games like this. Close games.

Then you meet Jessi Puk, who had the clutch hit in Cedar Rapids Washington's 4-3 win over Iowa City High in Thursday's Class 5A regional quarterfinal softball game Thursday night at Franklin Field. And you shove those phrases aside.

An extremely promising sophomore athlete, Puk wears a monitor on the inside of her belt during games, sensors on her chest, keeping close track of her heart rate as a precaution.

'I only take it off when I shower,” she said. 'It's a hassle.”

Puk was 4-for-4, driving home Anne Riley for the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning. The Warriors (14-23) rallied from a 3-1 deficit behind eighth-grade pitcher Grace Stockmaster, who got better as she went along.

It was Washington's first postseason victory in 10 years. The Warriors' previous tournament triumph was July 22, 2005 - 5-3 over Cedar Rapids Kennedy.

'Finally,” said Warriors Coach Erin Jones. 'It feels really good to get that one.”

Stockmaster found out she was getting the starting assignment 'right before the game. I was like, ‘Whoa, I hope I can do this.' Then it became more like, ‘Hey, I got this.'”

Washington advances to face No. 4 Iowa City West in a regional semifinal Saturday at West. The Women of Troy (33-5) had a first-round bye.

But first, it's a rematch with the Little Hawks (6-27) on Friday - a makeup double-header at City High to conclude the Mississippi Valley Conference slate.

Puk's escalated heart rate first became apparent during basketball season.

'There was a game in which it just rocketed up,” she said.

Her heart rate is watched closely on an i-phone. Fortunately, her father, Dave, is a doctor and Washington's assistant coach, Avery Carter, is on track to become a physical therapist.

'We know what to do if her heart rate gets high,” Jones said. 'We get cold water on her, we massage her carotid artery and we have her focus on her breathing.”

Puk stayed calm and cool in her clutch spot in the seventh, with Riley on second base and one out.

'I was ready to hit,” she said. 'Coach tells me to go up there with a plan. And my plan was to get a base hit.”

She did, a hard liner off the glove of third baseman Sara LaMarche and into left field.

Stockmaster retired the Little Hawks in order in the bottom of the seventh, and Washington advanced. She set down 10 of the last 11 batters she faced.

'I was really nervous in the first inning, then I focused on my mechanics and on hitting my spots,” Stockmaster said. 'The defense really helped.”

Stockmaster's RBI single put the Warriors in front 1-0 in the top of the first, but City High answered with two runs (on RBI hits by Bryn Hanrahan and Kinzee Brands) in the second, then took a 3-1 lead on Hanrahan's run-scoring double in the fourth.

A two-run double by Dana Riley in the top of the fifth got the Warriors even at 3-all.

CEDAR RAPIDS WASHINGTON 4, IOWA CITY HIGH 3

Class 5A Regional Quarterfinal, at Franklin Field

C.R. Washington 100 020 1 - 4 9 2

Iowa City High 020 100 0 - 3 3 2

Grace Stockmaster and Anne Riley. Sara Blowers and Makayla Herdliska. W - Stockmaster (2-2). L - Blowers (3-11).

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