Assumption softball team's late rally falls short in semis

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By Andrew Petersen | Sunday, July 20, 2008 |

FORT DODGE, Iowa — The Davenport Assumption softball team finally got to Morgan Louck, but the clutch hits came a few innings too late.

The Fort Madison pitcher came unglued in the seventh inning of Friday’s Class 3A Iowa state softball semifinal. As the Knights finally managed to string a cluster of hits together, they seemed optimistic about squaring the game.

But an over-the-head catch by Bloodhounds shortstop Mackenzie Cullen robbed Lindsey Skahill of a hit and Assumption of any further heroics.

The snag finished off a 6-4 Fort Madison win and landed the Hounds in today’s 3 p.m. championship. They will face Winterset (40-4).

“We just couldn’t put the hits together,” Knights senior Paige Sheeder said. “That sense of urgency finally kicked in, but it wasn’t enough.”

Fort Madison (34-9) led 6-0 through six innings, and ace Louck had given up just six groundball hits.

But Assumption (30-12) wore the sophomore down in the process, fouling off pitch after pitch.

In the bottom of the seventh, that persistence paid off as the Knights coupled three hits and a sacrifice fly with a pair of Fort Madison errors.

Sheeder and Morgan Finn, Assumption’s two seniors, each drove in runs to keep hopes high.

With a runner on first, Skahill stepped to the plate representing the tying run. She lined a 1-0 pitch up the middle, but Cullen threw her glove up just in time.

“It’s disappointing we couldn’t score sooner,” Finn said. “We didn’t get the hits when we needed them.

“But we have a bunch of young players back, and this shows we can compete at state.”

One of the best of those underclassmen is pitcher Alyson Spinas-Valainis.

The 6-foot-2 right-hander tweaked a nerve in her lower back during Wednesday’s quarterfinal win against ADM Adel. A trip to the trainer’s tent and an icepack helped, but Knights coach Bob Matthys held her out of the batting lineup.

Conserving her energy, Spinas-Valainis struck out eight Hounds and settled in after allowing three first-inning runs.

“She was only 50 percent, but I had to go with her,” Matthys said. “She’s the girl that got us here.”

Victory was especially sweet for Fort Madison coach Mike Ehlers.

The 1992 Davenport North graduate also student taught at North Scott before leaving the Quad-Cities. Throughout his coaching career, he had played — and often beaten — every other team from the Mississippi Athletic Conference. But never Assumption.

“I do take it personal,” Ehlers said. “I’ve still got ties to the Quad-Cities. Ever since I started coaching, I looked forward to playing MAC teams.”

Ehlers’ Hounds have just three seniors, making a rematch of Friday’s game at next year’s state tournament a real possibility.

Assumption certainly plans on making the trip.

Andrew Petersen can be contacted at (563) 383-2288 or apetersen@qctimes.com.