Golden Hawks heartbroken, 4-3

FORT DODGE -- For the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks, it was too heartbreaking for words.Jennifer Ankrom doubled home the winning run in the bottom of the seventh, and 14th-ranked New Hampton survived a late push by the Golden Hawks to win Tuesday's Class 3A quarterfinal, 4-3, at the state softball tournament at the Rogers Sports Complex."It's one of the most heartbreaking games I've been in," said Mid-Prairie coach Justin Lutjen. "Eight seniors ... everybody wants to win a state championship, and not everybody has a chance to do it."This group knew it was a real goal, and that's why it's so difficult right now."With that, Lutjen summoned a couple players for postgame interviews. They couldn't."It's just really emotional right now," he said.New Hampton (28-9) will face No. 11 Clarke in a semifinal at 3:30 p.m. Thursday. The Indians (27-9) tripped No. 4 East Marshall, 6-3.Chickasaws pitcher Jessica Crooks didn't allow a hit until the sixth inning, then Mid-Prairie (30-11) made a last-ditch rally in the top of the seventh to tie the game.Maddie Kaalberg opened with a leadoff triple. After back-to-back walks by Mariah Swartzentruber and Erika Murphy, Olivia Lugar lifted a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1.Michelle Erwin followed with a two-run single to left-center field, and the Golden Hawks were still alive."There's no question in my mind that we would have won had we gone to extra innings," Lutjen said.The Chickasaws didn't let it get to that point.Raelyn Webster doubled with one out. Then, after Nicole Mulford flew out to center, Ankrom delivered the game-winner down the left-field line.Erwin tracked the drive and got a glove on the ball, but couldn't maintain control as she collided with the fence."I was halfway to second when I looked at her and she (Erwin) slammed against the fence and missed it," Ankrom said. "My heart was pounding and I was like, 'We won. I can't believe we won.' "Mid-Prairie will conclude its fourth straight state appearance Wednesday. The Golden Hawks play East Marshall in a consolation semifinal at 10 a.m., then wrap it up with a fifth- or seventh-place game at 2 p.m.New Hampton scored once in the first inning and twice in the third for a 3-0 lead. Both rallies started with two outs and nobody on, both ended with clutch hits by Megan Fitzgerald, who drove in three runs.Meanwhile, the Golden Hawks did nothing against Crooks until the sixth. They wasted three singles there, then rallied to tie it -- temporarily -- in the seventh."It wasn't jitters," Lutjen said. "They were so amped up and ready to go."

Two outs when winning run scored.Olivia Lugar and Erika Murphy. Jessie Crooks and Jackie Whitman. W -- Crooks (21-7). L -- Lugar (15-7).

3A State Quarterfinal

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