March 28, 2024

Roadrunner bats silent in semifinal loss

Interstate 35 manages three hits against E-B-F

FORT DODGE — One pitch.

That was all it took for Randie Richmond to deposit a Carlyn Stanley offering over the left field fence in the fifth inning for a two-run home run as Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont defeated Interstate 35 2-0 Thursday for a chance to play in the Class 2A title game Friday against Iowa City Regina.

“Kudos to her for getting a good swing. That’s what we do. You get ahead in the count, you look for a pitch, she did and hit it hard and that was the one mistake in the game,” Interstate 35 coach Tim Bogs said.

The Rockets’ No. 9 hitter, Madysen Wade, earned a walk to start the fifth inning and came around to score on Richmond’s homer.

Richmond mowed through the Roadrunners from the circle, at one point retiring 17 straight Interstate 35 batters. She located her curveballs on the outside part of the plate and outside the zone. She threw plenty of sinking pitches and put plenty of spin on the ball. It was enough to fluster the Roadrunners and their bats persistently.

“We picked up some habits and things they did there and we perfected it,” E-B-F coach Tony Fenton said. “We kept them off balance and we knew some of those hitters’ weaknesses and we just threw to those weaknesses and it paid off.”

Carlyn Stanley held her own in the circle, striking out 12 Rockets while allowing four hits. She worked out of several jams after walking six players.

It was I-35’s plan to stay away from the fastball and stick with the rise ball.

“The riseball probably isn’t in the strike zone. We weren’t very comfortable throwing the fastball,” Bogs said.

Interstate 35 seemed to be seeing the ball well against Richmond early. Lilly Miller led off the bottom of the first with with a line shot that left fielder Taryn Swartz was barely able to glove. Stanley followed that by yanking a double to the fence in right center.

“I’m thinking we’re going to get good swings on this kid, and then she settled down.”

Stanley added a single in the seventh to start the seventh. After a Kate Stanley line out to center, Josie Wickett’s grounder was thrown away by Boyer at shortstop to put runners on first and third.

Slye Richardson hit a hard grounder back to Richmond, which the pitcher very nearly threw past first base, but became the second out, and Shai Major stranded runners on second and third when she popped up to end the game.

Sandwiched between Carlyn Stanley’s first-inning doubles and I-35’s two runners on in the seventh, Richmond retired 17 consecutive Roadrunners.

Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont 2, Interstate 35 0

R H E

EBF 000 020 0 — 2 4 1

I35 000 000 0 — 0 3 1

CS: Randie Richmond 4K 2BB and Clare Jager. I35: Carlyn Stanley 12K 6BB and Shai Major. W — Richmond (20-5). L— Stanley (27-4). HR — EBF: Richmond 1. 3B — none. 2B — EBF: Haegen Boyer 1. I35: Carlyn Stanley 1, RBI — Richmond 2. Multiple hitters — none.