Bombers explode late to drop Mid-Prairie

FORT DODGE - Mid-Prairie left the door ajar.Then Ballard busted it down.The Golden Hawks couldn't maintain a strong start that produced an early three-run lead, and Ballard belted extra-base hits in the final two innings for a 5-4 Class 3A quarterfinal of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union state softbal tournament Tuesday at Rogers Sports Complex.Mid-Prairie jumped to a 3-0 lead after the third, but didn't score again until the bottom of the seventh after surrendering the lead to the Bombers."With a team that can hit you've got to put them away and we just left too many on base the first few innings," Mid-Prairie coach Justin Lutjen said. "Give them credit. They're a great hitting ball club. They did enough to win."Dreams of a state title were dashed with the late Bomber rally. The loss was hard to take for the Golden Hawks (30-12)."It's really tough right now," Mid-Prairie senior Emmie Leinen said. "We were going for a state championship all the way."Mid-Prairie looked strong the first five innings behind the effective arm of Olivia Lugar and an offense that had seven hits through four innings.Leinen put the Golden Hawks on the board with a two-run single, scoring Amber Kral and Maddie Kaalberg in the second. The inning could have produced more but a Golden Hawk runner was caught hanging off third base on a groundball to second and was thrown out trying to get back. The next batter struck out to end the inning.Mariah Swartzendruber came in with another run on Mallory McArtor's groundout in the fourth. The runs  stalled with one run on two hits the last three innings."We were really pumped up at the start," Leinen said. "We had a lot of momentum going for us. I think we got too settled down in the middle of it. We needed to keep the pressure on them harder through the whole game."Kral, Swartzendruber and Leinen led Mid-Prairie with two hits apiece. Kral gave the Golden Hawks a flash of hope, drilling a solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. It wasn't enough."I told them they're going to be frustrated (Tuesday), upset and sad, and they have every right to be," Lutjen said. "They put their blood, sweat and tears all year long to win a state championship."When Mid-Prairie's pressure eased, Ballard start to apply it. The Bombers ignited in the sixth, receiving a lead-off home run from Annie Stolte and a two-run shot to center field by Katie Ahrenholtz to pull even at three apiece."We knew if we got a couple hits together it would start a whole line of hits," Ballard pitcher Kenzie Ihle said. "That's exactly what it did."Ballard (33-9) bats stayed hot in the seventh. Sydney Fisher and Hall hit back-to-back doubles for a 5-3 lead. Fisher, who scored on Hall's hit, chased home Megan Spear, who walked and stole second. The late rally allowed Ahrenholtz to relax on the mound."It gave me a good confidence boost to go out there and finish the game," said Ihle, who improved to 22-6."We say we always believe in each other. If we believe in each other we can do anything."Lugar had been handled the Bombers offense until then, allowing just four hits in five innings. She got three straight outs, including two strikeouts, after giving up a lead-off double in the fifth. Lutjen said Ballard made adjustments, and made good swings on tough pitches by Lugar.Lutjen said Lugar, who recorded nine strikeouts, didn't tire late."I don't think so," Lutjen said. "She's a workhorse."The Golden Hawks will look to rebound Wednesday, attempting to place as high as fifth in the consolation bracket. They face Davenport Assumption (23-21). The Knights lost to Bondurant-Farrar, 8-1."We have to remember we still played a good game," Leinen said. "We have to keep our heads up and just go hard (Wednesday) so we can come out on top in both games."Ballard advances to play Bondurant-Farrar (36-7) in the semifinals.