Pat Harty

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – There was a time not so long ago when even the suggestion that the City High softball team could make the state tournament would have been met with laughter and well-deserved skepticism.

But nobody is laughing anymore unless it is the current members of the City High team as part of their celebration.

The Little Hawks improved to 34-7 and earned a second consecutive trip to the state tournament on Tuesday by edging Dubuque Hempstead 2-0 in a Class 5A regional final before a packed house at City High.

Last year’s trip to the state tournament ended a 17-year drought for the Little Hawks, who up until about three years ago, had trouble just winning games.

“It means a lot,” said sophomore sensation Ayana Lindsey. “Building this softball program has brought a lot of joy to my life and it’s taught me a lot of new things. And just working with all these girls to bring this team up to where it’s at now is amazing, and I can’t even put it into words.”

The multi-talented Lindsey led the way to victory as usual by pitching a 3-hitter and by smacking a solo home run to lead off the game.

Junior second baseman Keli Potter scored City High’s other run on a solo home run in the second inning off Hempstead pitcher Malarie Huseman, who only allowed six hits.

“I’m just so excited to make it to state again, and we can do better than we did last year,” said Potter, who also belted a double in the sixth inning.

The Little Hawks lost their first game at state last year, but then won a game in the consolation bracket. It marked the first time since 1982 that City High had won a game at the state softball tournament.

The players learned a lot from that experience, but now they say it feels different to have clinched a second consecutive trip to the state tournament.

“It’s a little less stressful,” Lindsey said. “Last year was a lot worse.”

There were some stressful moments in Tuesday’s game as both pitchers made it hard on the hitters to get comfortable in the batter’s box.

Lindsey had a stretch where she struck out five of six batters in the second and third innings. She also worked out of a little jam in the fifth inning after Hempstead had two batters reach base following two Little Hawk errors.

“We worked a few walks, we did some things, we bunted a little bit, but when you have the ability to hit the ball over the fence and when you’ve got a pitcher like Ayana on the mound, it was just a great game, said City High coach Jeff Koenig. “I give credit just to the entire team.

“We made some great plays tonight. We really made some great plays tonight. It’s just a great feeling to go back (to state), and to know we’ve been there before and we’ve got unfinished business.”

Lindsey’s home run to lead off the game was her 18th this season, which is the most for a player in Class 5A.

It also provided a huge emotional lift in a game where runs were expected to be few due to the success of both pitchers.

“I think that helped the whole team,” Lindsey said of her home run, which cleared the left field fence and barely missed landing in foul territory. “It gave us a boost of confidence and I knew we could do it all.

“And right there, that set the pace for everybody.”

Potter’s home run, which also sailed over the fence in left field, provided some much needed cushion.

“Ayana has so many (home runs) and her getting one really helped the team,” Potter said. “It’s just amazing.”

Jeff Koenig has been the architect of City High’s rise to power. He took over a program that was struggling and began building on a daily basis.

It certainly helps to have talented players, and the Little Hawks have plenty of talent.

But somebody had to mold and develop the talent and Koenig has excelled in that area. And now he is the first coach to lead City High to back-to-back trips to the state tournament.

“It's huge,” Koenig said.

Koenig agreed with his players that Tuesday’s milestone victory felt different than a year ago.

He also sensed a different feeling compared to this past Saturday when the Little Hawks avoided an upset by defeating Davenport West 4-3 in eight innings in a regional semifinal.

“I just felt like we were a little more composed,” Koenig said. “And it even feels different from Saturday to tonight. I thought Saturday we just weren’t quite sure of ourselves. But tonight, it never felt like we were in trouble or anything.

“You know, elevate and celebrate. We put two balls over the fence. That’s just it.”

Elevate and celebrate has been City High’s theme all season, and now for the second year in a row, the season will end at a place that was beyond reach just few years ago.

Dubuque Hempstead   000  000  0  –  0  3  1

City High                          110  000  x  –  2  6  2

 W – Ayana Lindsey                    L – Malarie Huseman

2B – ICH: Keli Potter

HR – ICH: Keli Potter, Ayana Lindsey

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