By John Hirl

The Fort Dodge dreams of the Oskaloosa Indian softball team were dashed when they fell 4-6 to the Fairfield Trojans in an upset Saturday in Oskaloosa.

The Indians came into the game as the highest ranked team in their region, with home field advantage throughout regional play. Fairfield, a team that eliminated Oskaloosa in the 2015 postseason, came into the game the underdog with a record of 17-23.

The Indians grabbed the lead in the bottom of the 2nd inning when a Fairfield error allowed Abby Braundmeier to cross homeplate. Braundmeier would again contribute in the bottom of the 3rd inning when she went yard to bring in three runs, which made the score 4-0 Indians after 3.

Oskaloosa pitcher Hayle Hacker shut out the Trojans until the 6th inning when Fairfield got its first run of the game on a Hannah Simpson RBI.

The Trojans finally figured out Hacker in the top of the 7th when they exploded with two outs to plate 5 runs and take a 6-4 lead into the bottom of the 7th.

The Indians were unable to get any runs across in the 7th, losing in upset fashion. The loss shocked the many Indian fans in attendance eager to see their team advance.

The Indians finish their season with a record of 27-9 and final ranking of #6 in Class 3A. While Oskaloosa didn’t achieve their goal of a State Tournament appearance, Jay Harms still said he viewed the season as a success.

Harms said he told his players he was proud of the record they had on the year, and that he was excited for the future of the team. The Indians lose talented Seniors Josie Bunnell and Anna Jones, but many exciting young players return.