CEDAR RAPIDS — Class 4A 10th-ranked Creston split its games here Saturday at the Cedar Rapids Jefferson Classic, coming one inning away from going 2-0 for the day.
The Panthers cruised 12-0 in their first game against North Cedar, before letting a 4-3 lead slip away in the seventh inning against Class 5A Dubuque Hempstead to end the day in a 5-4 loss.
“Our main goal is to go over and play different people,” Creston head coach Mike McCabe said. “That’s also our one weekend our kids get away as a team. We had a good opportunity to visit the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital on Friday. That was a good experience for our kids.
“It’s tough to have the day end that way. Nobody wants to give up that lead in the seventh inning, but it happens and you just get a little tougher from it. That’s what it’s all about, continue to learn and grow and get better.”
Creston bolted to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning against Dubuque Hempstead, as senior Haylee LaMasters smacked her 10th home run of the season, driving in two runs.
But Dubuque Hempstead answered back with two runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning.
Natalie Mostek hit an RBI single in the top of the third inning to give Creston a 3-2 lead, but once again, Hempstead answered back in the bottom half of the inning.
Creston forged ahead one more time in the top of the fifth inning as Brenna Baker hit an RBI single, giving Creston the 4-3 lead.
“I’ll be darned, we had to go through the top of their order (in the seventh),” McCabe said. “We got the leadoff hitter out, who has been a thorn in our side the past few years, a little left-handed slapper. Then they got three hits in a row that tied it up.”
A short fly ball into left field glanced off Jami Sickels’ glove, though, allowing the winning run to score for Dubuque Hempstead.
“She was in pretty good position to make the catch,” McCabe said. “Had to lean to her right and off to the foul line. Had she caught it, I don’t think it was deep enough to advance the runner. Unfortunately, it just skipped off the side of the glove and the run was able to score.”
LaMasters was charged with the loss in the game, giving up 11 hits and striking out three with just one walk. She finished with two hits, as did Mostek and Taylor Briley.
“Good, back-and-forth ballgame,” McCabe said. “We had a couple of runners lost on base at crucial times. They did, too. Had a couple untimely errors that came back and bit us in the end of the game.”
Briley picked up the win in the 12-0 win over North Cedar, giving up just three hits and striking out four with one walk in four innings.
“About everybody got an opportunity to play in the game,” McCabe said. “It was a good way (to start).”
Jami Sickels drove in three runs in the win. Kiersten Latham and Shelby Palser each finished with two hits. Mostek hit a double in the win.
Hannah Hood, Morghan Frey, Baker, Palser and Lexie Little all drove in one run apiece.
Creston, now 20-5 for the season, returns to Hawkeye 10 Conference action at home Tuesday against Red Oak, with the junior varsity game starting at 5:30 p.m. and the varsity game following.
Tuesday also marks Little League Night. Creston Little League players will be recognized prior to the varsity game. All Creston Little League players who wear their jerseys will get in free and should report to the high school fields at 6:30 p.m.
The Panthers then host Kuemper Catholic in a varsity doubleheader on Wednesday, with games beginning at 5:30 p.m., before hosting Atlantic in a varsity doubleheader on Thursday and traveling to Red Oak on Friday.
Creston 12, North Cedar 0
R H E
North Cedar 000 0 — 0 3 5
Creston 640 2 — 12 11 0
NC: Alyssa Barnhart 0K 1BB, Emily Hay (3) 0K 2BB and Jonalyn Reif. Cr: Taylor Briley 4K 1BB and Natalie Mostek. W — Briley. L— Barnhart. HR — none. 3B — none. 2B — NC: Jordan Bendixen 1. Cr: Mostek 1. RBI — Cr: Jami Sickels 3, Hannah Hood 1, Morghan Frey 1, Brenna Baker 1, Shelby Palser 1, Lexie Little 1. Multiple hitters — NC: Jordan Bendixen 2. Cr: Kiersten Latham 2, Palser 2.
Dubuque Hempstead 5, Creston 4
R H E
Creston 201 010 0 — 4 10 2
Hempstead 201 000 2 — 5 11 0
Cr: Haylee LaMasters 3K 1BB and Natalie Mostek. DH: Nicole Hautakker 5K 2BB, Julia Meehan (4) 1K 0BB and Kayla LaPage. W — Meehan. L— LaMasters. HR — Cr: LaMasters 1. 3B — none. 2B — Cr: Josie Sickels 1. DH: Alana Cooksley 1. RBI — Cr: LaMasters 2, Mostek 1, Brenna Baker 1. DH: Lexey Hanson 2, Jessica Brown 1, Alana Cooksley 1. Multiple hitters — Cr: Taylor Briley 2, LaMasters 2, Mostek 2. DH: Brie Tauber 2, Brown 2, Cooksley 2.