Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

FORT DODGE – Harper Erwin entered the state tournament with one very memorable career home run.

The first career homer for Erwin was a solo shot in a 7-2 home win over West Branch last season and came with a little extra after the fact.

“I told my dad all last year if I hit a home run I’m getting a tattoo,” Erwin said. “I’ve got that tattoo right here, it’s my mom and I’s birth flower.”

After Monday’s state quarterfinal Erwin now has a new most memorable home run.

Erwin hammered a three-run shot to left field to lift ninth-ranked Regina to a 6-2 in over No. 10 Hinton (26-5) in a Class 2A state quarterfinal at Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge.

“It’s 10 times better, 10 times better,” Erwin said. “Runners on, at state, this kind of crowd, this kind of support it’s amazing. Ten times better.”

Erwin finished 3-for-3 on Monday with three runs scored and three RBI as Regina moved into the winner’s bracket semifinal of the double elimination tournament.

Regina (22-10) will face eighth-seeded Cardinal (17-10) in the semifinals on Tuesday at 12:15 p.m.

“Harper has been a five-year varsity kid and she’s just done everything we’ve needed her to do,” Regina coach Angela Kessler said. “Today she came back and did it again.”

Junior Lily Nibaur allowed just two runs on two hits in a complete game win as Regina extended its winning streak to seven.

Eight different Regals had a hit on Monday as Regina finished with 10 hits.

It was Erwin that did much of the damage for the Regals.

“It was so fun to watch, I feel like we played a great game,” Erwin said. “Lily is always a stud, she’s always doing awesome so it was just really fun to go out there and win.”
Eighth-graders Lexi Gaffey and Brooklyn Armentrout came up with back-to-back two out hits in the bottom of the first inning to set the stage for Erwin.

The senior left fielder launched a towering shot off the left center field fence for her first home run of the season.

“I love going up to bat with two outs,” Erwin said. “I saw the first strike and I was ready. I was definitely swinging top of the ball like Angela has been telling me.”

The early lead was enough support for Nibaur who struck out three without a walk.

Nibaur retired 12 of the final batters she faced and allowed just one base runner over the final three innings on an error with two out in the sixth.

“For sure the longer the game went the better I got,” Nibaur said. “The beginning of the game I was nervous, I was hot but as it went on as always my pitching got better, I got stronger and way more confident. I started hitting my spots and my nerves were gone. It was great.”

Hinton cut the lead to 3-2 with runs in the second and fourth but Regina answered with single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth.

Erwin singled leading off the fourth and after a Naoni Davisson sacrifice bunt scored on a single by Jordee Klein

Regina took advantage of infield singles by Nibaur and Keegan Kleppe and a Hinton throwing error to score a run in the fifth.

Erwin singled to lead off the sixth and after another sac bunt by Davisson scored on a RBI single to right field by fellow senior Chloe Rogers.

“These two seniors are amazing,” Kessler said. “They are the best teammates ever and they just lift everybody else up so it’s really great when they get lifted up and when they do something amazing that everybody else can feed off of.”

Hinton            010  100  0  –  2   2   1

Regina            300  111  x  –  6  10  2

W – Lily Nibaur                     L – Kayla Sypersma

HR – ICR: Harper Erwin

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