Late sac fly pushes Ottumwa past Xavier, 6-5

FORT DODGE -- Cedar Rapids Xavier made the big comeback, but couldn't make the small one.Katie Sammons drove in three runs, including a tie-breaking sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth inning that ultimately gave 13th-rated Ottumwa a 6-5 win over No. 10 Xavier in a Class 4A state quarterfinal at the state softball tournament Tuesday afternoon at the Rogers Sports Complex."I just knew I had to hit it somewhere," said Sammons, a freshman and a No. 9 batter, who hit a two-run home run earlier in the game.Ottumwa (31-8) advances to meet No. 1 Des Moines East (28-11) in a semifinal game at 1:30 Thursday afternoon.Xavier (34-9) rallied from an early 5-0 deficit by plating five runs in the bottom of the third, but the Saints' offense dried up after that. They managed just one baserunner, on an error, in the final four innings."The outside pitch just got us," said Xavier's Tyler Sampson. "We knew (Ottumwa pitcher Missy Staloch) was going to throw it, too."The Saints collected six hits in their third-inning rally. The first four batters reached, then Sampson delivered a two-run single that cut the Ottumwa advantage to 5-4. Jenna Schulte followed with the tying hit."I knew we could get back in it," Sampson said. "We never gave up. We were going to fight to the end."Xavier sent nine batters to the plate in the third. The ninth, Jenny Drahozal, singled to center, but Schulte was cut down at the plate on a throw by center fielder Sammy Garrett.That turned out to be the Saints' last hurrah.Garrett led off the sixth with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, moved to third on Courtney Klyn's single, then tallied on Sammons' fly out to left.Sammons hooked a home run inside the left-field foul pole in the second, which gave Ottumwa a 3-0 lead. The Bulldogs extended it to 5-0 before the Saints came back."I'm happy with the way we bounced back," said Xavier Coach Brian Erbe. "The ball didn't bounce our way early, and we expended a lot of energy to get back in it."We just couldn't get over the hump."Xavier meets Sioux City East (25-12) in a consolation semifinal at noon Wednesday. The fifth- and seventh-place games are at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Ottumwa ................................................. 122 001 0 -- 6  11  0

Cedar Rapids Xavier ................................ 005 000 0 -- 5  8  1

Missy Staloch (W) and Lindsey Evans. Jenny Drahozal (L) and McKenna Miller. HR: Ottumwa, Katie Sammons.