Lynnville-Sully softball uses fast start to eliminate GMG

SULLY — With so many new pieces and inexperienced players, the seniors from Lynnville-Sully’s softball team weren’t quite sure how the Hawks’ first-round playoff game would go.

But a fast start helped calm the nerves and benefited Aliya James in the circle, too.

James spun a two-hitter and the Hawks took advantage of five errors during a 10-0, five-inning victory in a Class 1A Region 6 opener on Friday.

“I don’t think we were expecting this kind of game,” senior Lily Zylstra said. “But it’s always fun and exciting to win a playoff game. We were nervous, but we played hard.”

The Hawks sent 10 batters to the plate and scored five runs in the first inning. That was plenty of run support for James, who allowed five base runners total. L-S had eight hits total and committed two errors.

James is another one of the team’s three seniors, but she was making her first career postseason start in the circle.

“It was good. It was better than I was expecting,” James said. “My curve ball was very good tonight. That helped a lot.

“The five runs in the first helped, too. It took some pressure off me and gave us a little cushion.”

The third senior is Reagan McFarland and she walked twice, reached on an error and stole one base for the Hawks. She also scored two runs.

McFarland didn’t get much to hit. She leads the team with a .495 batting average and has a team-best 47 runs and 53 stolen bases.

“We were nervous coming in so getting five runs early helped with that and got our energy up,” McFarland said. “We set the table for the rest of the game.”

The first five batters reached base for the Hawks in the first. Greenlee Smock collected a bunt single then stole second and third base. McFarland walked and Abby Squires reached on a fielder’s choice following a bunt to load the bases.

James then corked a two-run double and Zylstra laced a two-run single to put the Hawks in front 4-0. The final run came on Alexy Conover’s RBI double.

L-S plated three in the second. McFarland reached on an error to begin the frame and then Squires singled. James moved both runners up a base with a sacrifice bunt and then an error in the outfield by the Wolverines led to two more runs.

A sacrifice fly to center field by Conover scored the final run of the inning and made it 8-0.

A single run was scored in the third. Smock again reached on a bunt single and stole second and third base. McFarland walked and Squires made it 9-0 with an RBI sacrifice fly to center.

“They were ready to hop on it. We didn’t know much about GMG, but we don’t underestimate any team and want to come ready to play,” L-S head softball coach Madison Rasmusson said. “The girls showed that tonight. They were ready to be here.”

The Hawks (14-18) stranded two runners on base in the fourth but ended the game in the fifth.

The only batter to walk to the plate in the fifth was Smock. She reached on a bunt single, stole second and third and then scored the walk-off, game-ending run on a GMG error.

Smock and McFarland combined for three hits, two walks, five runs and seven stolen bases from the top two spots in the batting order. Smock now has 26 steals.

“They don’t try to hit it very far most of the time,” Rasmusson said. “They know how to get on base and they can read defenses.”

The three seniors were big for the Hawks against GMG (7-13). Combined with McFarland, James and Zylstra each had one hit and two RBIs at the plate.

They also are the battery for a lot of games. James surrendered no runs and two hits with one walk and two strikeouts in five innings.

“Her curve was really good today and she threw well inside,” Zylstra said. “She went all around the strike zone.”

James missed a couple practices leading up the game after spraining her wrist diving for a fly ball in the Marshalltown tournament last weekend. She showed no ill effects from the injury in the circle against the Wolverines.

“She threw very well tonight, and we count on all three seniors a lot,” Rasmusson said. “Normally, it’s Lily behind the plate, Aliya in the circle and Reagan in center field for a straight line of communication.”

Squires finished with one hit, two runs and two RBIs, Conover had one hit and three RBIs and Elise Alberts and Makayla Tice both walked once. Jakiera Hay had the other hit, Olivia Norrish scored two runs and Morgan Jones scored once.

GMG’s Dylan Mathern singled with one out in the first inning and Jenna Yilek singled with one out in the second. They both reached on errors later in the game, too.

The Wolverines (7-13) put two on with two outs in the fourth after Yilek reached on an error and Marriah Stonewall walked. The inning ended with a ground ball to third base.

James initiated 11 ground ball outs.

Notes: The Hawks had some extra fire and motivation for the game. GMG’s starting pitcher Adelyn Sienknecht was warming up in L-S’ bullpen before the game. When asked to leave so the Hawk pitchers could use their own bullpen, the response was something L-S used to its advantage. “I personally do not care, but we have two pitchers who warm up and usually use that whole thing,” Rasmusson said. “Other team’s pitchers normally warm up on the side by their dugout. (Zylstra) told them we needed it and they kind of just laughed. It just motivated some of our kids. They were ready to play and hopefully they come ready to play on Wednesday, too.” … Next for up for Lynnville-Sully is BCLUW (15-14) and the two teams play in the regional quarterfinals at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in Conrad.