Lauren Luzum is ready to throw to second for a base runner as a Comet batter backs out of the box. (Driftless Multimedia photo by Becky Walz)
The season came to an end for the Decorah softball team Saturday night in the second round of the Class 4A regional playoffs.
The Vikings tangled with No. 8 Epworth (Western Dubuque), falling 3-0, after advancing with an 8-1 victory over Charles City Thursday.
Decorah ends the year 18-16 overall.
Opening the postseason
Hosting the Charles City Comets (18-16) for the second time in four days, the Decorah Vikings took an 8-1 victory after scoring five runs in the first inning Thursday night at home.
Decorah got out to an early lead to start the game, driving in five runs at the bottom of the first inning and giving them a 5-0 lead to start the second inning. In terms of scoring, the second inning was quite different from the first inning, with both teams failing to score a single run. At the top of the third inning, the Vikings crossed the plate another three times, bringing their lead up to eight runs. After a scoreless fourth for both teams, the Comets scored their first, and what turned out to be their only run of the game at the top of the fifth. Neither team would score for the rest of the game, giving the Vikings an 8-1 victory.
On offense, the Vikings were led by senior shortstop Bryar Duwe, who had two hits and a walk. As far as pitching is concerned, freshman pitcher Clara Hjelle was credited with the victory after only giving up a single run and registering five strikeouts.
CC 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 9 3
Dec 5 0 3 0 0 0 x 8 9 2
Clara Hjelle (WP) – 7IP, 1R, 9H, 1BB, 5K
2B – Bryar Duwe 1; 1B – Lani Hubka 2; Lillian Olson 2; Duwe 1; Lauren Luzum 1; Autumn Schaller 1; Hjelle 1; RBI – Luzum 2; Olson 2; Dylin Thompson 2; Schaller 1; Hjelle 1
Round two
Saturday, the Decorah Vikings played the Western Dubuque Bobcats (28-9) in round two of the IGHSAU Class 4A Softball Tournament. The Wildcats won a relatively competitive contest by a score of 3-0.
The game started out with a scoreless game through the first four innings. The first runs of the game were scored by Western Dubuque at the top of the fifth inning, with the Bobcats driving in three runs. The final two innings, just like the first four innings, were also scoreless, resulting in a 3-0 shutout victory for Western Dubuque. More importantly, the Bobcats secured a spot in the regional final on Tuesday night, the 11th, against the Maquoketa Cardinals. The Cardinals advanced to the regional final after a grabbing 7-5 victory over the Independence Mustangs.
“The last game of the season is always the hardest but these girls should be proud of the 0season we had. Winning the Northeast Iowa Conference for the first time since 2012 when they tied with Charles City, to the first outright conference championship since 2007,” said Coach Jill Boyd. “We thank our five seniors for all they have done to continue to push our program in the right direction. We wish them the best of luck as they move to the next chapter of their lives. To our young players, we look forward to next year and seeing even more growth in each of them.”
The Vikes will have some key pieces to replace next season with the graduation of Lani Hubka, Bryar Duwe, Paige Werner, Danial Dawley and Autumn Schaller.
Dec 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1
WD 0 0 0 0 3 0 x 3 7 0
Hjelle (LP) – 6IP, 3R, 7H, 3BB, 1K
1B – Luzum 1; Hjelle 1
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