Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

FORT DODGE – Last season Regina had a late-inning rally to remember on its way to winning the Class 2A championship.  

In its return to the 2A title game the Regals experienced some late inning drama they would just as soon forget.

Third-ranked Louisa-Muscatine scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to stun No. 10 Regina 4-3 in the Class 2A title game on Thursday at Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge.

Hailey Sanders lined a two-out single to left field to cap the two-run rally that lifted Louisa-Muscatine (38-6) to it first state title in its first appearance at state.

The loss snapped an eight-game winning streak for Regina (25-16) which advanced to its fourth straight 2A title game with a 1-0 eight-inning semifinal win over fourth-ranked Des Moines Christian on Wednesday.

“They got the big hits today and all tournament we’ve gotten the big hits,” Regina coach Jake Koolbeck said. “We’ve done it all state tournament, yesterday we got the big one in the eighth and they got the big one in the seventh today.”

During its astounding four-year run that has sent Regina to four title games the Regals have made a habit of pulling out clutch wins late.

Last year Regina scored four runs in the bottom of the 14th inning to down Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont for its second title in three seasons.

Regina had been 6-0 in extra inning postseason games over the last four seasons, a streak that included a nine-inning win over North Linn in the regional final and Wednesday’s win over Des Moines Lincoln.

The Regals found themselves on the opposite end of a late rally on Thursday.

Eighth-place hitter Brynn Jeamby led off the Falcon seventh with a double to right center and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt.

Kylee Sanders lined a single to left to tie the game at 3-3 and McKenna Hohenadel followed with an infield single.

After a flyout and an intentional walk to cleanup hitter Isabelle True, Sanders lined the game-winner into left on a 2-2 pitch from Bracken.

“They just strung together some hits,” Regina junior pitcher Katie Bracken said. “They gained the momentum and ended up on top.”

In her first season as the Regals ace Bracken capped a strong postseason with an impressive state tournament.

The junior right-hander had four shutouts during Regina’s run to the 2A title game and allowed just six runs in 38 2/3 postseason innings.

Bracken allowed four runs, three earned, on 10 hits while striking out one and walking two in the title game and was named to the 2A all-tournament team.

“I’ll remember the fight we put up,” Bracken said. “We tried to push through each inning we just didn’t come out on top.”

Louisa-Muscatine took a 1-0 lead in the first when McKenna Hohenadel grounded a double down the left field line with one out and later scored on a Regina outfield throwing error tagging up on a flyball.

Regina roared back with three runs in the third without hitting a ball out of the infield.

Emma Nibaur drew a one-out walk, Jess Hunter reached on a fielders choice and Katie Bracken coaxed a walk on a full count to load the bases.

Paisley Gardner ground a ball in the hole between shortstop and third base for an infield hit that scored Nibaur and tied the game 1-1.

Regina took a 3-1 lead when Lauren Marth beat out an infield single to the right side that scored Hunter and courtesy runner Emma Sueppel.

“I’m very proud of the fight that they showed to even get to this game, the fight they showed in this game to get the lead and scrape some runs,” Koolbeck said. “We just came up a little short in the seventh.”

Louisa-Muscatine cut the lead to 3-2 on a solo home run by True in the fourth but Bracken held the Falcons scoreless the next two innings, escaping a two-one, one out gym in the sixth.

Louisa-Muscatine finally broke through in the seventh, coming up with four of its 10 hits in the final inning.

“We just put everything out on the field,” Bracken said. “We tried our hardest every practice, every game and every pitch.”

Bracken went 2-for-2 in the title game while Marth had a hit and two RBI and Nibaur and Jess Hunter each scored a run.

Hunter and Marth joined Bracken on the 2A all-tournament team.

I couldn’t be more proud of them,” Koolbeck said. “The journey we had was a blast, we didn’t that get that final outcome but overall it was a great summer, a great team and a lot of fun. I’m very proud of those young ladies.”

Regina                        003  000  0  –  3   6   1

Louisa-Muscatine      100  100  2  –  4  10  1 

W – Hailey Sanders                L – Katie Bracken      

2B – LM: McKenna Hohenadel

HR – LM: Isabelle True