In a game that went 0-0 for the majority of seven innings, PCM managed a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to win the contest in game two of Clarke softball’s run for state on July 13, ending the Lady Indians’ season 7-18.
MONROE — On a night when hits were hard to come by, PCM’s Tori Lindsay knew getting to third base with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning could decide the game.
And it was her heads up play on a routine sacrifice bunt that propelled the PCM softball team to a 1-0 triumph over Clarke.
The Class 3A No. 8 Mustangs were limited to three hits, but Rylee Parsons and Camden Webb made sure that’s all they needed to advance during a 3A Region 2 semifinal contest.
“We didn’t have the greatest offensive night. We weren’t hitting the ball too hard,” PCM head softball coach Shaun Hudnut said. “The pitching and defense has really been our bread and butter.”
The win advanced the Mustangs to the regional final July 16.
Clarke (7-18) pushed state-ranked PCM to the brink but ended its season with losses in seven of its final eight games. The Indians also were shut out four times during that span.
Neither team managed a lot at the plate. But Lindsay led off the seventh with a hard single to left field.
Libby Winters immediately laid down a sacrifice bunt that allowed Lindsay to get all the way the third. The Mustang sophomore took advantage of Clarke not covering the bag at third.
Lillian Humpal followed Winters’ sacrifice bunt with a bunt single that landed just in front of the plate. With runners at first and third, Humpal took off for second.
Lindsay scored the winning run seconds later after Clarke threw down second base. No one was covering the bag and the ball went into center field.
None of that would have been possible though if Parsons and Webb didn’t combine to pitch a shutout for PCM in the circle.
Parsons started the game and went four innings. She allowed no runs and one hit and struck out one but took the no decision. Parsons delivered a 1-2-3 frame in the first, second and third. Webb (7-1) earned the win after tossing three innings and surrendering no runs and three hits. She struck out four.
Hudnut said his decision on when to switch from the right-handed Parsons to the left-handed Webb is mostly a gut feeling.
The Mustangs (23-4) were no hit until Webb singled in the fifth. The only other base runner to that point was Hadley Millang, who walked in the third.
Maisy McCoy led Clarke with two hits. Abbi Nash (6-10) allowed no earned runs on three hits and one walk and she struck out four in 6 1/3 innings.
Notes: Clarke’s biggest scoring threat came in the sixth. But an attempted bunt by Macy Jacobson hit her foot outside the batter’s box as she was running to first base. The Indians would have had runners on first and third base with one out but instead a second out was called and the other Clarke runner was forced back to first base.
PCM Explorer article Troy Hyde
Clarke 8, Des Moines Christian 0
DES MOINES -- Clarke’s first game in their bid for state was on July 11 at Des Moines Christian, where the Lady Indians took down the Lady Lions 8-0, with the Lions getting in only four hits over seven innings.
Reese Shaw hit a home run for the Indians for one of the eight points, her sixth home run of the season. Maisy McCoy had two runs in the game, with one each from Ali Henry, Maddy McCoy, Tory Henry, Liliana Contreras and Marissa Bakley. Maisy McCoy had one hit that got her to third base. The Lady Indians had six runs batted in and seven walks.
On defense, Maddy McCoy had seven putouts of a team 20; Macy Jacobson had four, Tory Henry and Shaw three each, Maisy McCoy two and Contreras one.
Abbi Nash pitched the game, throwing 78 times against 23 opponents with a batting average of .174. She had four allowed hits, two walks and struck out three.
RESULTS
July 8: Boone 9, Clarke 1
M -2-4, 3-2, 6-3
C - 4-1
HITTING
Maisy McCoy - 3 AB, 1 H, 1 1B, 1 SO
Macy Jacobson - 2 AB, 1 SAC
Ali Henry - 3 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 1 1B
Maddy McCoy - 3 AB, 2 H, 2 1B
Tory Henry - 3 AB, 2 H, 2 1B, 1 RBI
Reese Shaw - 3 AB
Miah Graves - 3 AB, 1 SO
Liliana Contreras - 2 AB, 1 SO
Marissa Bakley - 2 AB, 1 SO
Maddie Youngs - 1 AB, 1 SO
Team - 25 AB, 1 R, 6 H, 6 1B, 1 RBI, 1 SAC, 5 SO
BASE RUNNING
T. Henry - 1 SBA
Team - 1 R, 1 SBA
FIELDING
Maisy McCoy - 4 A, 2 PO, 2 E
Jacobson - 1 PO
A. Henry - 2 A, 3 PO
Maddy McCoy - 7 PO
T. Henry - 2 A, 4 PO
Shaw - 1 A, 1 TOS, 1 SBA
Bakley - 1 PO
Abbi Nash - 2 A
Team - 11 A, 18 PO, 2 E, 1 TOS, 1 SBA
PITCHING
Nash - 6.0 IP, 95 PC, 32 OAB, 16 H, 9 R, 4 ER, 2 BB
July 9: Creston 4, Clarke 3
HITTING
Maisy McCoy - 4 AB, 1 SO
Macy Jacobson - 3 AB
Ali Henry - 3 AB, 1 H, 1 1B, 1 SO
Maddy McCoy - 3 AB
Tory Henry - 2 AB, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 ROE, 1 SO
Reese Shaw - 3 AB, 2 H, 1 1B, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Miah Graves - 3 AB, 1 SO
Liliana Contreras - 3 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 1 1B, 1 SO
Marissa Bakley - 3 AB, 1 H, 1 1B
Team - 27 AB, 3 R, 5 H, 4 1B, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 ROE, 5 SO
BASE RUNNING
T. Henry - 2 R, 1 SBA, 1 SB
Team - 3 R, 1 SBA, 1 SB
FIELDING
Maisy McCoy - 4 A, 1 PO, 2 E
A. Henry - 2 PO
Maddy McCoy - 7 PO
T. Henry - 4 A, 1 P;O, 1 E
Shaw - 2 PO, 1 E
Contreras - 1 A, 4 PO
Bakley - 1 PO
Team - 9 A, 18 PO, 4 E
PITCHING
Abbi Nash - 6.0 IP, 78 PC, 24 OAB, 8 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 2 SO
July 11: Clarke 8, Des Moines Christian 0
C - 1-1, 2-1, 3-2, 4-2, 5-1, 7-1
HITTING
Maisy McCoy - 4 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 BB
Macy Jacobson - 5 AB, 2 H, 1 1B, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Ali Henry - 5 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 2 1B, 1 RBI
Maddy McCoy - 3 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 1 1B, 1 BB
Tory Henry - 2 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 1 1B, 1 BB, 1 HBP
Reese Shaw - 3 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO
Miah Graves - 4 AB, 1 H, 1 1B
Liliana Contreras - 2 AB, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 SO
Marissa Bakley - 3 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 1 1B, 1 BB
Team - 31 AB, 8 R, 12 H, 7 1B, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 7 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO
FIELDING
Maisy McCoy - 3 A, 2 PO
Jacobson - 4 PO
Maddy McCoy - 7 PO
T. Henry - 1 A, 3 PO
Shaw - 1 A, 3 PO, 1 TOS
Contreras - 1 PO
Abbi Nash - 2 A
Team - 7 A, 20 PO, 1 TOS
PITCHING
Nash - 7.0 IP, 78 PC, 23 OAB, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 SO
July 13: PCM 1, Clarke 0
Individual stats not available at press time.