The West Fork softball team will take a groundbreaking step as a program by playing in their first ever state tournament game against Van Meter in a Class 2A quarterfinal on Tuesday.
#8 seed West Fork (18-7) punched their ticket to state with wins over South Hardin, Grundy Center and Hudson to claim the Class 2A Region 6 title.
Head Coach Sadie Winfrey says having great energy and navigating a tough conference has prepared the team for this state run.
“It’s obviously really exciting, but I’m honestly more excited for the girls and that they’re going to be able to get this experience that not many kids get the chance to have,” says Winfrey. “I think just the energy that the girls are bringing and the confidence that they’re bringing is sticking. That is something that is an expectation for each game when we get started. I think the reason that our regular season prepares us so much is because our conference is so solid. We have so many teams in the conference that are really well rounded softball teams, which sometimes can be hard taking those losses, but at the end, it really prepares you. The better teams you play, the better that you’re going to get.”
An integral piece in the Warhawks’ soar has been junior all-district pitcher Libby Trewin with 252 strikeouts (3rd most in 2A) and a 1.36 ERA (6th best in 2A).
Trewin says staying calm and executing the pitch keeps her in rhythm.
“The big thing I think about is just keeping calm on the mound,” says Trewin. “I have a routine, if I’m getting frustrated or if pitches aren’t going my way, I just know that my role is to execute the pitch, not strike everyone out, not let them hit this ball. It’s my job to execute the pitch and I just try to stay calm and cool and collected to make sure that I’m calm for my team.”
Junior Joanna Wallace gets the Warhawks offense rolling, batting .377 and freshman Brooke Rother as part of the heart of the order is a co-leader in RBI’s with 21.
#1 seed Van Meter (40-1) marched through ACGC, Logan-Magnolia and Tryenor to win the Class 2A Region 3 title. The Bulldogs were last year’s Class 2A state runner-up. Maddie Waldorf has been an all-star for the Bulldogs with a 0.73 ERA (1st in 2A), 269 strikeouts (2nd in 2A) and 56 RBI’s (3rd in 2A).
Winfrey says her message to the team ahead of facing the top seed Bulldogs is to have fun.
“At this level I like to win, I enjoy winning, and that is our main goal. At the end of the day, this is just a game and they’re getting an experience that they’re never gonna get again. Having fun will eventually bring those wins to you.”
The game will air on 104.9 KLMJ with pregame coverage at 11:45 a.m. followed by the first pitch at 12:15 p.m. at Harlan Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge.
The winner will advance to the semifinal round and the loser will move into consolation round to face East Marshall or Lisbon on Wednesday.
