The Late, Late Show: Clarksville outlasts Sigourney in state softball semifinals

FORT DODGE — Four hours and 39 minutes later, Clarksville slugged itself into the Class 1A championship game.

Janet Borchardt hit a tie-breaking three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning, and No. 6 Clarksville outlasted Sigourney, 15-12, in a state-softball small-school semifinal early Friday morning at the Rogers Sports Complex.

The game included a 92-minute lightning delay and ended at 12:48 a.m.

'We knew they'd keep fighting,' Sigourney's Autum Barthelman said. 'We had to get clutch hits, and we didn't do it. They did.'

Clarksville (29-2) will face top-ranked, defending-champion Lansing Kee (37-2) for the championship at 2:39 this afternoon. Kee High handled No. 7 Westwood, 7-3.

The Indians set an all-time state record with 24 hits, which allowed them to overcome a seven-error night. Seven of Sigourney's 12 runs were unearned.

Trailing 10-6 in the top of the sixth inning, Clarksville scored six times. Ainsley Lovrein hit a three-run home run, then Bethany Negen smoked a three-run double to put the Indians in front, 12-10.

'They came through when they needed to,' said Sigourney's Madi Schauf, who drove in four runs.

Sigourney (23-12) scored a run in the sixth and another in the seventh to tie it.

Barthelman tied a state-tournament record with five hits. She also walked once and scored three runs.

First pitch was at 8:09 p.m.. It was halted at 8:55 p.m., with the score tied 2-2 in the top of the second inning, due to lightning in the southern sky. It resumed at 10:27.

'We just kind of chilled in the dugout,' Schauf said. 'Everyone wanted to play.'

The Savages will face Westwood in the third-place game at 1:30 this afternoon.

CLARKSVILLE 15, SIGOURNEY 12 (9 innings)

Class 1A State Semifinal, at Fort Dodge

Clarksville 022 026 003 — 15 24 7

Sigourney 241 031 100 — 12 16 2

Kori Wedeking and Bethany Negen. Kendall Streigle and Leah Carter. W — Wedeking (24-1). L — Streigle (20-6). HR — CLARKS: Chloe Ross, Ainsley Lovrien, Janet Borchardt.

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