Pat Harty

Your Prep Sports

DAVENPORT – Once the tears dry and the hurt from losing fades, the West High softball players will come to appreciate what they accomplished during their up-and-down season.

That was Justin Lutjen’s message to his players during an emotional post-game meeting on Saturday.

The West High players were devastated after being crushed by a surging Davenport West squad 13-1 in a Class 5A regional semifinal. The game was stopped after just four innings because of the 12-run mercy rule that goes into effect after three innings.

Lutjen huddled with his players and assistant coaches in right field after the game to deliver his message. He praised his players for staying the course and for refusing to unravel after losing 11 of their first 14 games.

He also told them why this season always will be special to Lutjen.

“Here’s how I described it to the kids, and I told them I’m going to tell the parents the same thing; this was in my nine years of coaching softball the most challenging season I’ve been through, but it is by far the most rewarding,” Lutjen said. “To come out of the gates (with a 3-and-11 record), and like we just talked about, we weren’t sure where the season was going to go. We could have ended the season 5-and-35. But we turned it around and won 22 of 26 games.”

That momentum carried into Saturday’s game as the Women of Troy led 1-0 after the first inning.

Senior center fielder Taleah Smith led off the game with a single and then scored on a line-drive single by freshman Brylee Klosterman.

Davenport West answered with one run in the third to even the score at 1-1.

But then a 1-1 pitcher’s duel after three innings turned into a Davenport West slugfest in which star senior Lexy Monty belted a three-run home run that was estimated to have traveled at least 240 feet during a six-run fourth inning that ended the game.

The Falcons also scored five runs in the third inning and improved 32-8 on the season, while Iowa City West finished with a 25-16 record.

“We showed up here so loose and with the most energy I’ve seen all year and we jumped up right away,” Lutjen said. “We were in a great position and the kids fought, the kids played hard. But unfortunately, Davenport West is just a buzz saw this year. They just, up and down their lineup, will put pressure on you and they got us tonight.

“But that’s not going to take away anything from our season. I’m so proud of what the girls have accomplished this year. And I hope looking back they’re going to feel the same way about it”

This marks the second consecutive season in which Iowa City West’s season ended with a loss to Davenport West in the playoffs.

The circumstances were different last season, though, in that a trip to the state tournament was on the line. Iowa City West also was the higher ranked team and was playing at home, but still lost, largely because of a grand slam home run by Monty.

“You don’t know how many times I thought about that tonight,” said Davenport West coach Steve Saladino. “I’ve been around this a long time and I’ve competed. But it’s a great group of kids, a great group of seniors.”

Monty’s home run was her 19th this season and her 52nd overall. She walked in each of her first two plate appearances, but then finally saw a pitch to hit her third time up and took advantage by sending the ball well beyond the fence in centerfield.

Lutjen instructed his pitcher to pitch around Monty in her first two plate appearance, but he changed his strategy after Davenport West built a 6-1 lead in the third inning.

“At 6-1, you’ve got to start pitching to her,” Lutjen said of Monty. “So we tried pitching to her. I think there were maybe a couple calls that we didn’t get. But she’s unbelievable. I’ve been coaching against that kid since she was in the eighth grade. She’s tremendous, and more times than not, she’s beaten us at the plate. She’s a great kid, a great competitor. And that ball, honestly, could still be traveling.”

The Women of Troy contributed to their downfall by committing two errors and by surrendering three walks in the first three innings against an opponent that has now won 14 consecutive games and outscored its opponents 137-15 during that stretch.

“We made a couple miscues that opened the door,” Lutjen said.. “That was kind of the problem. We left a couple plays out there that we probably would have been out of that inning. And I think it’s a different ball game. But that’s just the way the ball bounces sometimes. And they’re aggressive and they took advantage and they capitalized.”

Saladino, who has coached for nearly four decades, was surprised by the lopsided score.

“I never anticipated that would ever happen, Justin is a great coach and (West) is a great team,” Saladino said. “I looked at the pairings and thought we had the hardest draw for the first round.

“My kids just executed and put everything into play and before I knew it was 13-1 and I don’t have much to say other than I’m very proud of my kids, my seniors playing their last game on this field and winning.”

Saladino had high praise for his record-breaking slugger.

“You know Lexy Monty, I think if she would have hit that ways it would still be going to Iowa City,” he said of her home run. “I mean she just has so much power. We told her, they aren’t going to pitch to you. But if they make the mistake and throw one, you’ve got to cut it.”

West High                 100  0  –  1   3   2

Davenport West        015  7  – 13 10  0

Kylie Heisdorffer, Abby Henderson (3) and Kaitlyn Fangman; Erica Ralfs and Paige Roehlk.

W – Erica Ralfs                      L – Kylie Heisdorffer

3B – DW: Rachel Stewart

HR – DW: Lexy Monty