By KELLY TERPSTRA, Courier sports writer
July 04, 2008 12:48 am
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OTTUMWA — Huston Field went dark on Thursday evening.
The reason? Fireworks.
The Ottumwa softball squad will look to keep those pyrotechnics popping off on Saturday.
That’s when the Bulldogs encounter their make-or-break postseason matchup with 11th-ranked Oskaloosa at 7 p.m.
Huston’s squad enters that pressure-packed Class 4A, Region 8 matchup with plenty of wind behind its sails.
Ottumwa (17-22, 9-10) celebrated Senior Night in winning fashion over Des Moines Hoover. Before the sky lit up with assorted colors and explosions, the Bulldogs put a sweep in the books by scores of 9-2 and 4-3 over their CIML Metro foe.
The Bulldogs have now won eight games in a row to conclude the regular season.
They’ll come right back to the field named after their Hall of Fame coach on Saturday to take on Osky in an attempt to travel to sixth-ranked Burlington in the semifinal round on Monday.
Ottumwa defeated Burlington to qualify for state last season.
Huston brings his squad into the tough region — which features three ranked squads — with a losing record. That’s never happened in school history at OHS.
“We’re kind of on the other side of the fence for the first time,” said Huston, the second winningest softball coach in the nation. “I don’t look at us as the underdog. Each game we play is a toss-up. We’re right there.”
Ottumwa hammered the softball in the opener and scored all of its hits and runs in two innings — the third and fifth.
Ottumwa led 4-0 after the third courtesy of McKenzie Cason’s two-RBI double, followed by senior Tricia Bix’s RBI double on the very next pitch. Liz Cason, a freshman, followed with a single to score a run.
McKenzie Cason was 4-7 on the evening with two doubles in the first game. Cason and Bix have faced Oskaloosa three times in the postseason and won all of them. Each started on the OHS 2005 state tournament squad as freshmen.
Cason discussed Ottumwa’s less-than-spectacular start to the season and what’s left on the table for the Bulldogs.
“I think every team goes through a slump and ours was kind of the whole beginning of our season. I think it’s ending and we’re putting everything together. Things are going to come out good in the end,” said Cason, the Bulldogs’ centerfielder.
Ottumwa closed game one with five runs in the fifth. Three consecutive RBI doubles by senior first baseman Whitney Reber, freshman Lindsey Evans and eighth-grade shortstop Paige Schreiner were big blows to the Huskies. The Bulldogs blasted four two-baggers in the frame with the other extra-base hit coming from McKenzie Cason.
Ottumwa sophomore hurler Missy Staloch struck out nine and did not issue a walk in her victory inside the circle.
The Bulldogs climbed out of a 2-0 hole in the second game.
Game-two starter for Husky head coach Randy Baker — sophomore Kylie Van Houten — registered Hoover’s second run of the first inning on a sizzling line shot that clanked off the left-field foul pole for a home run.
Ottumwa rallied with a run in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI single by Reber.
Elizabeth’s Rodriguez’s single plated Hoover’s final run in the second inning off Bulldog freshman pitcher Courtney Wagner.
Ottumwa recovered from that 3-1 deficit with another run in the second on an RBI groundout off the bat off sophomore Kelsey Luthi.
Schreiner came up with the game-winning hit in the ensuing third with a deep triple to right to plate two runs with two outs.
Wagner finished with three strikeouts and moved her record to 8-3 on the year. She also did not issue a free pass.
Hoover — with all of 10 girls in uniform — fell to 12-26 and 7-13 in league play.
Ottumwa 9, Des Moines Hoover 2
DMH 000 101 0 — 2 5 2
OTT 004 050 x — 9 9 1
Des Moines Hoover battery — Ann Moody (L) (6IP, 9H, 9R, 9ER, 2K, 4BB), Amy Uhl catching.
2B — Sam Ricke.
Hits — Elizabeth Rodriguez 2-3, Ricke 2-2, Kylie Van Houten 1-3.
RBI — Moody, Uhl. Runs — Rodriguez, Ricke.
Ottumwa battery — Missy Staloch (W, 6-14) (7IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, 9K, 0BB), Kaity Peden catching.
2B — McKenzie Cason 2, Tricia Bix, Whitney Reber, Lindsey Evans, Paige Schreiner.
Hits — M. Cason 2-4, T. Bix 2-3, Liz Cason 1-4, Reber 1-2, Evans 1-3, Schreiner 1-3, Megan Bix 1-3.
RBI — M. Cason 2, T. Bix 2, L. Cason 2, Reber, Evans, Schreiner. Runs — M. Cason 2, T. Bix, Wensday Worth, Reber, Hanna Fredrickson, Amy Albertson, Courtney Heller 2.
Ottumwa 4, Des Moines Hoover 3
DMH 210 000 0 — 3 6 0
OTT 112 000 0 — 4 6 1
Des Moines Hoover battery — Ky. Van Houten (L) (6IP, 6H, 4R, 4ER, 3K, 1BB), Amanda Mount catching.
2B — Rodriguez.
HR — Ky. Van Houten.
Hits — Rodriguez 2-4, Ricke 1-3, Ky. Van Houten 1-3, Mount 1-3, Kinsey Van Houten 1-3.
RBI — Rodriguez, Moody, Ky. Van Houten. Runs — Rodriguez, Ky. Van Houten, Ki. Van Houten.
Ottumwa battery — Courtney Wagner (W, 8-3) (7IP, 6H, 3R, 2ER, 3K, 0BB), Lindsey Evans catching.
3B — Schreiner.
Hits — M. Cason 2-3, T. Bix 1-3, Reber 1-2, Schreiner 2-3.
RBI — Reber, Schreiner 3, Kelsey Luthi. Runs — M. Cason, Fredrickson, Reber, Courtney Klyn.
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