Your Prep Sports

MARION – Hannah Cole believes it is only a matter of time.

In its eight years of existence, Liberty High has been to a regional final seven times.

It did not prove to be a lucky No. 7 for the Lightning onTuesday night.

Cole’s team held second-ranked Linn-Mar hitless through three innings and held a 2-1 lead in the fourth before the Lions, led by senior Emily Koranda, awoke from their slumber, scoring seven runs in their final three at bats to earn a spot in the Class 5A state tournament with an 8-2 win at Oak Ridge Middle School.

“We’ve been on the brink so many times,” Cole said. “I think the girls are finally ready to just get there. I think we let the moment get a little bit too big for us tonight, but we have a lot of young girls (coming back).”

For the Lightning, who upset No. 14 Des Moines Roosevelt, 4-2, in the regional semifinal, it was their defense that was the issue early.

Liberty High had six miscues in the contest.

Five of the six allowed Linn-Mar to score its first run in the second and take a 3-2 lead in the fourth.

“We don’t make that many errors in a game very often,” Cole said. “I don’t think we have had that many errors combined in awhile. It was a little bit unlike us to come out that way, but I think we had them scared to be sure.”

Liberty High starting pitcher Kaelyn Rickels held Linn-Mar (33-6) without a hit through the first three innings.

The Lions scored an unearned run in the second without a hit to take a 1-0 lead.

The Lightning, who close at 18-20, made things interesting in the top of the fourth.

Ava Tague led off with a walk, took second on a ground out and just beat a throw home on Aubrey Robertson’s single to left to tie the game.

Robertson took second on the throw home, then scored the go-ahead run when Lexi Werle dropped down a bunt and the Lions threw it away.

Linn-Mar grabbed a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the inning.

Koranda got Linn-Mar’s first hit with a booming double off the center-field fence.

Makinley Sweet ran for Koranda and scored an error.

Kaylie Alvey drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out single to right.

The Lions removed all doubt in the fifth.

Koranda blasted her seventh home run of the season, just inside the left-field foul pole to make it 4-2.

Two batters later, Emma Barnes hammered a two-run shot to center field.

Freshman Brynna Gander’s two-RBI single in the sixth completed the scoring.

“We battled,” Cole said. “They came out and gave it their all. That is all we can ask of them. I am looking forward to the years to come because we have a very bright future.”

Linn-Mar will play Pleasant Valley in a state quarterfinal match-up next Monday in Fort Dodge.

Liberty High 000  200  0  –  2  3  6

Linn-Mar       010  232  x  –  8  6  1

W – Emily Koranda (17-3)                L – Kaelyn Rickels (7-7).

HR – L-M: Koranda, Emma Barnes

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