Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Ayana Lindsey, Carey Koenig and Ella Cook have played a central role in taking the City High program to new heights over the past several seasons.

On Tuesday the senior trio had plenty of help in adding another big accomplishment to its list of career achievements.

Georgia Kimm and Cynthia Hull homered and eighth-grader Lianna Hull had three hits as Class 5A sixth-ranked City High qualified for the state tournament for the third time in four seasons with a 5-2 win over Cedar Rapids Prairie in the Region 6 title game in Iowa City.

“That was a total team effort tonight, I mean a total team effort tonight from us,” City High coach Jeff Koenig said. “As good as our horses are to me that was a total team effort and I couldn’t be more proud.”

City High (33-7) scored three runs in the first inning and never trailed while returning to the state tournament after a regional final loss to Muscatine a year ago.

Third-seeded City High will face No. 10 Ankeny Centennial at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday in a 5A quarterfinal at Harlan Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge.

“Everyone that was here last year we remembered that feeling of losing this game,” Cook said. “I think that really inspired us to play better tonight and it drove us because none of us wanted to feel that again.”

Cook, Koenig and Lindsey played like all-state performers on Tuesday.

Koenig had a hit, Lindsay scored two runs and Cook struck out seven in a complete game victory.

It was the contributions from the rest of the team that sent the Little Hawks back to state.

“Everyone just stepped it up,” Cook said. “One through nine everyone played so well, so I am really proud of everyone.”

Cynthia Hull capped a momentum swinging three-run City High first inning with a solo home run to left center that gave the Little Hawks the early edge.

“That was huge,” Cynthia Hull said of the early three-run inning. “Ayana getting on, Lianna getting on and them scoring and then I was able to hit a home run because I didn’t really have any pressure because we scored two runs.”

Cedar Rapids Prairie (28-14) loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the opening inning on walks to Rylee Newhard and Hannah Ironside around a single by Jensyn Jones.

Cook escaped the game when she caught Miranda Farr looking to end the inning.

City High immediate took advantage of the momentum swing as Lindsey drew a leadoff walk and Lianna Hull followed with an infield single.

Lindsey later scored on a wild pitch and Hull scored on a Cook sacrifice fly.

“That was very important, scoring in the first inning helps us succeed,” Lianna Hull said. “I was really happy when we came out and played the way we know we are capable of playing.”

Cynthia Hull hit a towering fly ball that landed just over the left center field wall to put the City High up 3-0.

“I was very nervous before the game and then we scored two runs and I heard everyone in the dugout behind me cheering,” Cynthia Hull said. “I just swung the bat and the ball came off of it.”

Kimm tacked on to the lead in the second when she lined a homer over the left field wall that made the score 4-0 and chased Prairie starter Megan Steffens.

“I had crowded the plate a lot knowing she was going to throw outside and I was expecting a change up and I knew to wait on it and I had been working all morning with my dad on those exact pitches,” Kimm said. “I found it and I squared it up right away.”

Prairie made another charge in the third as Amaya Snyder and Riley Sauser led off the inning with consecutive singles but Elyse Rios made a diving catch of a Newhard liner to the gap in right center and Cook got Jones swinging and caught Ironside looking to end the inning.

“Everyone played a part from Georgia coming through, a great game from Lianna putting the ball in places, Cynthia hitting one out of the park, that diving catch by Elyse was a huge,” Koenig said. “I challenged the girls in the dugout tonight for our dugout to be louder than their dugout and they were as loud as I’ve heard them. That to me is 16 girls coming out to win a game.”

Prairie got as close as 5-2 with a pair of runs in the fifth but Cook closed the game by retiring the final eight batters she faced.

After tossing a one-hitter with 13 strikeouts in a 2-0 regular season win at Prairie, Cook allowed two runs on six hits while striking out seven and walking three.

“It’s hard to beat a team three times,” Koenig said. “That’s the thing when you play a conference team. They came in here with nothing to lose after seeing Ella at her very best and she threw well tonight. Everybody stepped up tonight.  Couldn’t be more proud.”

CR Prairie                 000  020  0  –  2   6   0

City High                   310  100  x  –  5   7   0

W – Ella Cook                                    L – Megan Steffens

HR – ICH: Cynthia Hull, Georgia Kimm

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