Kori Wedeking and Clarksville stifle Lisbon in state softball semifinals, again

FORT DODGE — In a shortened season void of Saturday tournaments, the Lisbon Lions didn't see an abundance of high-level pitching this season.

They saw it Wednesday night.

Kori Wedeking scattered five hits, and third-ranked Clarksville handed No. 8 Lisbon its first shutout of the season, 4-0, in a Class 1A state softball semifinal at the Rogers Sports Complex.

'We haven't seen much pitching like that,' Lisbon senior Sam Bennett said. 'We're confident hitters, but she was really good.'

Wedeking blanked the Lions in the semifinals for the second straight year, and the Indians (18-1) will play for the 1A championship at 7:30 p.m. Friday against top-ranked, two-time defending-champion Collins-Maxwell (21-1).

It took six innings, but the Clarksville hitters finally solved Ryleigh Allgood. Leading 1-0, the Indians strung together five hits in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring three times.

'That was two tough teams back-to-back for Ryleigh,' Lisbon Coach Bob Bunting said. 'She did a really good job for (five) innings.'

With one out in the sixth, Cheyenne Behrends and Janet Borchardt hit back-to-back singles, then Wedeking followed with a two-run double to the fence. Ainsley Lovrien added an RBI single to make it 4-0.

'Sometimes we rely on the back of the lineup, and sometimes we rely on the front,' Lovrien said. 'Today it was the front.'

Lovrien's sacrifice fly played Wedeking in the fourth inning for the Indians' first run.

Lisbon suffered just five strikeouts against Wedeking (17-1), but was unable to push across a run when the opportunities arose.

'We put the ball in play,' Lisbon's McKenna Nelson said. 'But (Wedeking) is really good. She had a good riseball.'

Peyton Robinson led off the game by reaching on an error, then stole second base. But a couple of bunt attempts went awry, and Robinson was stranded at second.

'We were just trying to get a run,' Bunting said. 'If we're going to sacrifice somebody, we're not going to switch and hit with two strikes.'

Lisbon (21-4) will face Lynnville-Sully (19-3) in the third-place game at 6 p.m, Friday. The Lions finished third in 2018 and 2019.

'You could say we're really consistent,' Nelson said. 'It's been fun to be here three years in a row.'

CLARKSVILLE 4, LISBON 0

Class 1A State Semifinal, at Fort Dodge

Lisbon 000 000 0 — 0 5 1

Clarksville 000 103 x — 4 6 1

Ryleigh Allgood and Taylor Techau. Kori Wedeking and Ainsley Lovrien. W — Wedeking (17-1). L — Allgood (18-3).

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