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Tigers split with Saints
By Times Staff
7/10/2010 12:00:00 AM
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Pitcher Makenze Mobley starts her delivery during the Tigers' 5-4 victory in game one of Thursday's double header against Cedar Rapids Xavier.
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CEDAR FALLS – The Cedar Falls softball team split a doubleheader Thursday to close out the regular season with 10th-ranked Cedar Rapids Xavier, as the Tigers honored three seniors for their time with the team.
The Tigers won the opener, 5-4, behind a first-inning, two-run home run from eighth grader Anna Strien, along with a three-run rally in the third. The Saints came back to win in the nightcap, 13-2.
“We looked solid to start that first game,” said Cedar Falls coach Tammy Utley. “We had a lot of energy.
“We know they were a good team, and they would get their cuts and get their runs, but if we got on top of them, we could keep them down.”
After Saints leadoff hitter and pitcher Jenny Drahozal ripped the first pitch of the game to center for a single, the Tigers stranded her there.
In the second inning, senior Sarah Korte then blooped a single behind second on an 0-2 count, and three batters later, Strien yanked a home run down the right-field line on the eighth pitch of the at bat to put the Tigers up 2-0.
Korte added: “When I saw it off the bat, I thought, ‘This could be gone.’ I love to see when [Strien] does really well. It was good for the team to get a good, two-run lead, because we wanted to come out and beat these guys.”
C.F. then added three in the third on RBI singles by Paige Miller, Cari Collins and Mercedes Hutchens.
However, Xavier notched two in the first, four in the fourth and five in the fifth to grab an 11-1 lead going to the bottom of the fifth in the nightcap.
“We’ve been up and down,” Utley said. “We can play amazing, and then come back and not play our best.
“We see greatness. If we continue to work together, we’re going to see it more often.”
That’s when, with two outs and the high school softball mercy rule looming, Korte stepped to the plate.
On a 3-1 pitch, Korte blasted a Jaycey Wiebold offering to very deep left field, approximately 215 feet away and 10 feet off the foul line, to close her Tiger career in style. The shot was Korte’s first at home since the outfield fence was moved back when UNI started using the Robinson-Dresser softball field.
“It feels really good,” she said. “It’s cool to end my high school softball career with a home run. It was fun rounding the bases after that.”
Makenze Mobley earned the win in the opener, as she allowed four earned runs on eight hits and struck out four with a complete game.
However, Sonja Przybylski shouldered the loss in the nightcap. She threw four-plus innings, allowed nine earned runs on 11 hits, walked two and struck out three. Mobley came on in relief after Przybylski couldn’t retire a batter in the fifth, and allowed two earned in three innings on five hits and struck out two.
In addition to Korte, the Tigers also said good-bye to Collins and Mobley.
“I’ve only had them for three [of their five years],” Utley said. “Anyone who can stick through five years on a softball team, it’s tough for people. Their commitment and dedication have been amazing.”
The Tigers end the regular season with a 17-20 overall record and 12-14 in the Mississippi Valley Conference. They will travel tonight to Mason City to open regional play.
The winner of tonight’s game will go to West High to face the Wahawks in the semifinals Monday.
“If we come out and play and set the tone right away, I think we’ll put ourselves in a good position,” Utley said.
Korte said the opening game win helps with the confidence heading into regionals.
“It helps to know that we can play with teams that are ranked, that we have the potential to move forward and go farther into the tournament,” she said.
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