NEW SHARON – North Mahaska softball coach Mark Schroeder is not a fan of one-run games. He has reason to be leery of them. His Warhawks have played eight of them and won only two. The second came Monday in the opening round of the Class 1A Region 5 tournament when the Warhawks rallied for a 7-6 win over South Iowa Cedar League foe Lynnville-Sully.
“We deserved to get one of these,” said a smiling Schroeder. “We deserved to get a walk-off win.”
North Mahaska (11-12) held the early lead in the contest 4-2. Lynnville-Sully scored twice in the top of the fifth as the Hawks took advantage of two hits and two errors to tie the game. Madeline Doonan opened the NM half of the fifth with a single, stole second and moved to third on an errant throw to second. Regan Grewe’s flyout gave the Warhawks the lead again at 5-4.
North Mahaska added another run in the sixth using the bat and speed of Cali Sampson. She singled, stole second and scored on a passed ball.
Starting pitcher Jocelyn Pinkerton retired the first Hawk batter in the top of the seventh inning. Alexy Conover and Ava Brummel hit back-to-back homeruns to tie the game at 6-6. Grewe entered the game and retired the final to batters to set up the dramatic NM comeback.
With one out in the seventh Grewe, North Mahaska’s leading homerun threat, received an intentional walk. She stole second and advanced to third on Kayla Readshaw’s single and scored on a pass ball. The victory was the third win of the season over the Hawks.
“It is hard to beat any team three times,” said Schroeder. “It was a sloppy game, but Jocelyn threw a good game. We’ve got some work to do. We made some mistakes, but we got the win.”
Pinkerton went 6 1/3 innings allowing six runs on nine hits a walk and three strikeouts. Grewe finished with one strikeout.
Readshaw led North Mahaska with three hits and two RBI. Doonan hit a single and double. Kaylia Shipman and Sampson hit RBI singles.
Conover and Brummel led Lynnville-Sully. Conover hit a double and homerun while Brummell hit a single, double and homerun. Jolan Fogle hit two singles.
Fogle started in the circle for Lynnville-Sully allowing nine hits and six runs over 5 1/3 innings, striking out three and walking four.
North Mahaska will travel to Milo on Wednesday to take on No. 7 Southeast Warren (20-2). Game time is 7 p.m. The winner advances to the regional semifinal on Friday to take on the winner of the Murray-Montezuma contest.
