Raiderettes undefeated in POI for first time
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send your username and password to you.
The Mount Ayr Raiderettes became the lone Pride of Iowa champions last Tuesday after defeating Lenox 2-1 to take the top spot.
Mount Ayr 2, Lenox 1
The Raiderettes haven’t achieved a POI championship since 1996, before any of the current Raiderettes were born.
Mount Ayr only recorded four hits on the Tigers pitcher, TJ Stoaks, and were walked twice.
The teams went back and forth through innings until the Raiderettes scored first in the bottom of the fourth, which got underway with Alexa Anderson getting on base after being hit by a pitch. Abigail Barnes reached on a bunt and a passed ball that went awry, which saw Anderson reach home for one run.
The next run for the Raiderettes came in the bottom of the fifth.
Payten Lambert received a base hit and Sam Stewart advanced her on a ground out to first. Addy Reynolds found herself on base after a throw out at first came out of the baseman’s glove. Caroline McAlexander hit a sacrifice fly which saw Lambert across the plate to get the Raiderettes to their two runs.
Lenox scored on a Mount Ayr error in the top of the sixth, though the Raiderettes held strong to keep the score 2-1.
The seventh was full of tension as the Tigers were mounting a comeback. McAlexander seemed to be slightly fatigued as she walked the lead-off batter.
Lenox’s Ecklin hit a sacrifice bunt to advance Christensen, which prompted a coach Ruggles visit to the mound.
After the visit, Christensen was caught stealing in a rundown and Douglas struck out to end the game, giving the Raiderettes their lone Pride of Iowa championship.
The Raiderettes played the strategy well against the Tigers tonight, playing a lot of small-ball as well as sacrificing batters to advance runners when they could. They played a game of chess, instead of checkers as the saying goes.
“At times you have to execute, and we have worked all year on the idea of controlling your A.P.E., Attitude, Position and execution,” said coach Bret Ruggles. “Sam Stewart is going to go down as 0-2 tonight. She had two sacrifices that were fantastic, moving runner to second and third and those are things that win you regional games like this 2-1.”
Stats
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 F
LEN 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
MA 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2
Hitting
AB H R BI
S.Stewart 3 0 0 0
Reynolds 3 1 0 0
McAlexander 3 1 0 1
Anderson 2 0 1 0
A.Barnes 2 0 0 0
R.Sobotka 3 1 0 0
H.Barnes 2 0 0 0
Henle 3 0 0 0
Lambert 2 1 1 0
MakJones 0 0 0 0
M.Stewart 0 0 0 0
T.Streit 0 0 0 0
TOTALS 23 4 2 1
Pitching
IP H ER RK
McAlexander 7 3 0 1 5
TOTALS 7 3 0 1 5
Mount Ayr 10, NV 1
The Raiderettes finished out the season with a commanding win over the Nodaway Valley Wolverines by a score of 10-1.
The win was the first time in the Raiderettes Pride of Iowa history, that they have gone undefeated in the conference.
The Raiderettes finished their season 22-2 and will begin their road to State on Wednesday, facing Logan-Magnolia who defeated Clarinda Monday night.
In the win over Nodaway Valley, Alexa Anderson hit a three run home run which helped her RBI count up to four in the win. Anderson recorded four hits in the game as well.
Caroline McAlexander was recognized before the game as the Raiderette’s only senior this season.
A big part of the Raiderette team, she has been a five year starter as well as the star pitcher for the last few years and the home run leader for Mount Ayr.
McAlexander can always be heard in the dugout cheering on teammates or building up the girls that are down on themselves after a strikeout or an error.
McAlexander leads the Raiderette chant, “Nothing better yet than a Raiderette” after each game and hopefully will lead a few more throughout Regional play.
After the game, the team was joined by Raiderettes who helped get the program going under coaches Bret and Brandie Ruggles. Macy Larsen, Tess Shields, Sara Winemiller and Megan Warin. They joined the Raiderette breakdown one more time with the current team.
“Four years ago we didn’t think this would ever happen,” said coach Ruggles said. Maddie Mobley was the first senior and it was can we just get through some ballgames without tears and without chaos and without problems and then we’ve gotten to this. I am proud of our girls, all of them. Even past generation ones, even some that had to leave the program.”
Stats
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 F
NV 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
MA 3 0 3 1 0 3 010
Hitting
AB H R BI
S.Stewart 4 3 3 0
Reynolds 4 2 1 2
McAlexander 3 1 2 2
Anderson 4 4 3 4
A.Barnes 3 1 0 0
R.Sobotka 3 0 0 1
H.Barnes 2 0 0 0
Henle 4 0 0 0
Lambert 3 0 0 0
MakJones 0 0 1 0
E.Sobotka 0 0 0 0
TOTALS 30 11 10 7
Pitching
IP H ER RK
McAlexander 7 4 1 1 8
TOTALS 7 4 1 1 8
