The Greene County Ram softball team finished the season in third place in class 3A after winning a consolation game against East Marshall in Fort Dodge Friday afternoon. The Rams finished the season with a 29-8 record with no seniors in the starting line-up. The Rams were never ranked during the season, but every opponent they played in the post season was ranked, and the only one they didn’t beat was third ranked Clarke in the 4-1 loss after midnight Thursday.
After a frustrating night against Clarke pitcher senior Libby Bemis, the Rams’ bats connected again Friday against the Mustangs’ pitcher, junior Mariah Fritz. The Rams managed only four hits in the Clarke game and struck out a dozen times. Against East Marshall, the Rams got 11 hits and struck out seven times. Walks were easier to come by Friday, also, as the Rams drew eight walks off Fritz, compared to only one walk off Bemis. The Mustangs committed two errors Friday; in Thursday’s game, both teams committed one error.
The Rams played as the visiting team. The game was scoreless after one inning, but the Rams scored five runs, two of them unearned, in the top of the second inning. Hannah Onken batted first and last in the inning, as Fritz faced 10 batters before the inning was finished.
Onken started the second inning with a stand-up double. Tressa Rasmussen walked, putting batters at first and second with no outs. Carleigh Paup followed a Sydney Koch strike out with a single, advancing Katelyn Hagen (a courtesy runner for Onken) to third and Rasmussen to second. Bailey Godwin drew a walk, bringing in Hagen as an unearned run and advancing Rasmussen to third and Paup to second. Emma Saddoris put the ball in play; she was safe at first but Rasmussen was out at home on a fielder’s choice. With two outs the bases were still loaded, with Godwin at second and Paup at third. Kayla Mobley hit a single that brought both Paup and Godwin home, for three runs on the inning. Emily Christensen reached by an error on the first basemen and Saddoris came in as a second unearned run. Marissa Promes hit a single that allowed Christensen to move to second and scored Mobley as another earned run. The third out came via a strike out by Onken and the Rams were retired after scoring five runs on a double, three singles and an error.
The Rams scored in the fourth inning on a home run to left field by Christensen. It was her third home run for the season and her 24th run batted in. It was her first hit in tournament play. Promes struck out and Onken hit to centerfield and was out. Rasmussen got on base with a single to shallow center field but was stranded as Koch struck out. The Rams did not score in the top of the fifth inning and led 6-0 when the Mustangs came to bat.
The Mustangs in the bottom of the fifth inning put together two singles and a home run to score three. With one out, pitcher Fritz came to bat and hit a single. The next batter, second baseman Bobbi Amendt, hit a fly ball to right field that was caught for the second out. Catcher Ashley Allen hit a single and Fritz advanced to second. Short stop Taylor Fricke hit a home run for three RBI. The inning ended with fly ball to Ram short stop Christensen. The inning ended with the score 6-3 for the Rams.
The Rams answered the Mustangs’ runs with four more of their own in the sixth inning, all before there was an out in the inning. Christensen and Promes both hit singles, and Christensen came home on an RBI double off the centerfield fence by Onken. With Promes and Onken on base, Rasmussen hit her first home run of the season. The three RBI brought her RBI total to 19 on the season. Koch walked. Paup hit a bunt but was called for interference after the ball bounced up and hit her on her way to first base. Godwin reached first on a fielder’s choice that put Koch out at second. With two outs, Mustang catcher Allen threw the ball to shortstop Fricke to catch Godwin stealing second for the third out.
East Marshall led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a single but the runner was stranded as the next two batters flied out to centerfield and the fourth batter for the inning grounded out to Promes.
Neither team scored in the seventh inning, althought the Mustangs Amendt hit a single with one out.
For the game, the Rams had 11 hits: a home run and a single for both Rasmussen and Christensen; a double and a single for Onken; a pair of singles for Paup; and singles for Mobley, Promes and Koch.
Promes struck out seven and walked just one batter. She allowed a total of nine hits: seven singles, a double and a home run. The Rams committed no errors.
Head coach of the Rams is Tom Kennedy. Assistants are Greg Ruth and Tiffany Promes.
East Marshall had won 28 consecutive games before losing to Bondurant-Farrar in the semifinal game Thursday. The Mustangs finished the season at 33-5.
