March 29, 2024

Roadrunners fourth in 2A

I-35’s bats quiet in final two games

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FORT DODGE — Interstate 35’s bats were silent for the second consecutive day as the Roadrunners fell 2-1 to Durant in Friday evening’s Class 2A third-place game.

Even with the loss, Interstate 35’s fourth-place finish represents the best in school history.

“It sucks we had to go out with a loss but it’s pretty awesome that we actually made school history,” Interstate 35 senior Josie Wickett said.

Already behind schedule after early morning showers, the start time of the game was pushed back again when lightning was seen in the area as the two squads were being introduced before the game.

After the delay, Durant took early lead in the second inning when Haleigh Carnes scored from second base on a throwing error by Roadrunner shortstop Slye Richardson.

Carnes later scored in the fourth on a Kelly Alexander single.

Durant pitcher Kamryn Meyer kept the Roadrunner offense off balance for much of her appearance, keeping the Roadrunners hitless until the fourth inning, when Kate Stanley singled up the middle.

The Roadrunners put together some offense in the fourth and fifth against Meyer.

After a Josie Wickett sacrifice bunt, Gracie McCuddin was thrown out at third on a hard hit ball to shortstop by Richards. Shai Major then singled to make it a first and second situation with two outs.

Riley Morris got ahold of a pitch from Meyer and sent it deep to right, but it was gloved for the third out.

In the fifth, Lilly Miller followed an Olivia Carlson walk with an 11-pitch at-bat that she concluded by singling to left field. Carlyn Stanley then walked to load the bases with one out.

Durant coach Steve Hopkins then made what may have seemed a questionable move at the time that paid off. He pulled Meyer for relief pitcher Jenna Lawson. Lawson then struck out Kate Stanley and induced a groundout by Wickett to end the frame.

Interstate 35 had one last chance in the sixth, as Shai Major changed the atmosphere with a long home run to left to get the Roadrunners back into it.

Just as quickly as the Roadrunners’ mood soared, it came right back down. After Riley Morris grounded out at the end of the sixth, the announcement was made that the game was over, despite there being several minutes remaining before reaching the 1 hour, 30 minute time limit.

With a punch to the gut, the Roadrunners’ third straight trip to state, and the last high school game for six seniors, was over without warning.

Roadrunner hurler Carlyn Stanley limited the damage in multiple tense situations, as she stranded nine Durant runners on base and struck out three batters to finish the season with 358 strikeouts and 1,128 for her career.

The loss left Stanley one short of 100 wins for her career, and with a 99-21 career record.

“A number today won’t mean anything in 20 or 30 years,” Stanley said. “I’ll probably still remember that I only had 99 wins, but I’ll also remember I had 1,000 strikeouts, But they don’t mean anything. It is what it is.”

Major, Stanley’s battery mate behind the plate, couldn’t quite fathom how to feel in the aftermath of the loss.

“We’ve been playing together over six years and it’s a little different. We’re going off and going to different colleges. It’s going to be different not playing with the same six girls for five years, seven years, eight years,” Major said. “The emotions are moving around in my head because I don’t know what to feel right now because that was my last game with the six.”

Richardson, the senior shortstop, knows how next year could be quite different for the Roadrunners.

“It’s hard having a team with mostly seniors because there wasn’t very many spots to fill, but everybody works so hard and they know that next year they have big spots to fill,” Richardson.

Carlyn Stanley noted that the bonds the girls have shared have been reinforced over the years by softball.

“Not everybody gets to come up here and make the memories that we get to make and so it’s really special we got to come up here and do our thing,” Stanley said.

Interstate 35 finished the season 27-6.

The six-player senior class of Carlyn Stanley, Major, Wickett, Richardson, Morris and Cheyenne Hiatt finished a five-year stretch in which each played at least some varsity ball.

Over that time, the program boasted a record of 126-30.

Durant 2, Interstate 35 1

R H E

Dur 010 100 — 2 4 1

I35 000 001 — 1 3 2

Dur: Kamryn Meyer 3K 3BB, Jenna Lawson (5) 1K 0BB and Cathy Ralfs. I35: Carlyn Stanley 3K 2BB and Shai Major. W — Meyer (20-2). L— Stanley (27-5). HR — I35: Major 1. 3B — none. 2B — EBF: Haegen Boyer 1. I35: Carlyn Stanley 1, RBI — Dur: Alexander 1. I35: Major 1. Multiple hitters — Major 2.