Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Throughout her softball career Sarah Lehman has made a habit of saving her best for last.

A two-time first-team all-state pick with a career earned run average under 1.40 the Regina senior has done her best work in the postseason.

Lehman boasts a sparkling 14-1 postseason record that includes a perfect 9-0 mark in regional contests.

The secret to the late-season success has remained a riddle even to Lehman.

“I don’t really know how to explain it,” Lehman said of her postseason performances. “Honestly, I don’t know why.”

The best explanation for the playoff domination by Lehman is the same as the reason she started pitching as a kid, she liked the pressure.

“It’s all you,” Lehman said. “It’s a lot of pressure and I like that actually.”

Lehman liked softball as a youth but there was one problem.

She was bored.

A self-described busy body, Lehman didn’t like the down time in the sport, she didn’t like waiting and she certainly wasn’t a fan of watching the game without having control.

That’s when her coaches suggested she give pitching a try.

“I wanted to be moving,” Lehman said. “I like being active and doing everything myself so they thought pitcher would be good for me.”

Lehman said she was “terrible” her first few times in the circle but the position was a definite fit.

The rocky start in the circle is now a distant memory.

Lehman has become one of the top pitchers in Class 2A and among the most decorated in Regina history.

“I like being able to have control and doing something that makes me feel like I’m helping the team,” Lehman said. “That’s pretty much why I started pitching.”  

Lehman started pitching to be in control and that is exactly where she has been over the past three seasons.

She broke through as a sophomore, going 17-8 with a 1.01 ERA while leading the Regals to the 2A state title.

Lehman led Regina to a second state title game appearance last season when she posted a 1.32 ERA and struck out a career-high 293 in 191 innings.

She has 48 career wins and owns an ERA of 1.37 in more than 570 career innings.

Lehman will pitch in her third state tournament when No. 8 Regina (27-11) faces sixth-ranked North Union (30-6) at 1:30 p.m. in a 2A quarterfinal at Harlan Rogers Sports Complex.

Her senior season has been her best.

Lehman enters the state tournament 13-6 with a 1.06 ERA and averaging a career-best 11.74 strikeouts per seven innings.

“I think she has been more consistent,” Regina coach Jon Prottsman said. “She hasn’t gone through that three or four game lull where she lost focus and struggled.”

This season less has been more for Lehman in the circle.

With the emergence of sophomore Katie Bracken as a strong second option Lehman has thrown 132 1/3 innings so far, her lightest workload since her freshman season.

A decrease in innings has led to a more efficient Lehman.

Opponents are hitting .125 against the right-hander, the lowest opponent batting average of her career.

Lehman has a 6.7 strikeout-to-walk ratio, the highest of her career while posting a career-best WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched) of .75.

“I think it’s probably being older,” Lehman said. “It’s nice to pitch consistently during the season so I think getting into that routine this year has helped.”

With all the impressive statistics, what stands out the most with Lehman is the work she has done in the postseason.

Nearly 30 percent of her 48 career wins have come in win or go home scenarios.

She boasts a career postseason ERA of .44 with a .72 WHIP in 111 postseason innings.

Lehman has struck out double digits in 11 of her 15 career postseason starts and allowed one or fewer runs in 11 with six shutouts.

“My thought process changes a little,” Lehman said. “I kind of try to narrow my focus in the postseason.”

In a career known for saving her best for last, Lehman has truly done that this season as a senior.

She didn’t allow an earned run in three regional wins including a two-hit, 13-strikeout shutout of Dyersville Beckman in the regional final.

The Blazers entered the regional final hitting over .360 as a team and ranked second in 2A in runs scored.

“We had a tough tournament trail, we had to beat West Branch a third time and they have good young fast talent and if they get on they are going to score and we said we have to keep them off the bases which we did,” Prottsman said. “Then we had Wilton who out-hit us both games we played them in the regular season and we had to play them a third time and we got key hits and they couldn’t hit Sarah hard enough.”

Lehman is down to her final three games this week in Fort Dodge.

She is hoping to again save her best for last and end her career with another strong postseason.

Even with her strong postseason past, Prottsman believes the best is still out there for Lehman.

“I think she can throw better than she has,” Prottsman said. “I think if she wants to bear down and get mentally strong I think she can kick everybody’s butts to tell you the truth.”