Softball: Alburnett takes out the champs

ALBURNETT - They manicured the field, then shut out the lights - possibly for the final time.

But before that, the Alburnett Pirates made one final memorable moment on the old diamond in the middle of their small town.

Jacqueline Naeve scattered eight hits, limiting damage and averting danger, and Alburnett toppled 15th-ranked Iowa City Regina, 3-1, in a Class 2A regional semifinal softball game Friday night at Alburnett High School.

“This is the greatest thing, playing your last game on the home field and winning it,” said Naeve, the only senior on the Alburnett roster.

Next year, the Pirates will move to a facility south of town. But first things first.

The Pirates (29-13) advance to face No. 2 Durant (29-5) in a regional final at 7 p.m. Monday at Mount Vernon. The Wildcats (29-5) handled West Branch, 12-7, Friday.

Alburnett will be a decided underdog, yes. But this is a club that has won 20 of its last 24 games.

“When we were 9-9, I sent out an e-mail to the parents,” said Alburnett Coach Kevin Johnson, who returned to the program after five years away. “I told them we would be OK.”

The Pirates scored the go-ahead runs in the top of the fifth, taking advantage of three Regina walks. Kaitlyn Boline reached on a bases-loaded pass, then Danica Windfield followed with a sacrifice fly to right field for a 3-1 Alburnett lead.

“We wanted to be patient until we got the pitch we wanted,” Boline said. “Coach always tells us to be cool cucumbers.”

Regina, the reigning 2A state champion, retired at 16-20. The Regals let two big scoring opportunities slide.

In the fourth, they got a run on Megan Bonnett's ground-rule double, and had the bases loaded with one out. They got no more.

In the seventh, Kennedy Brown and Jenny Wick - the eighth and ninth batters - led off with singles. But Naeve got Ciarah Schlader and Gabby Dutchik to fly out, then induced a lineout from Sydnay Lehman to officially end the Regals' reign.

“I have a lot of faith in (pitching coach Amy Rawson, who - as Amy Rowe - pitched the Pirates to the '99 title),” Naeve said. “I believe she's going to have me pitch to a spot that will get them to swing at it.”

Regina out-hit the Pirates 8-6, but left eight girls on base, three at third base.

“It just wasn't there tonight,” said Regals Coach Jon Prottsman. “We couldn't get the hits when we needed them. And we didn't have a lot of execution in our bunting game.”

Alburnett took a 1-0 lead in the second on Taylor Matus' RBI single.