Mt. Pleasant, Oskaloosa face off for state berth

BY ANDY KRUTSINGER

Mt. Pleasant News

OSKALOOSA ? This is the game Mt. Pleasant softball fans have been waiting for since last year?s state tournament.

The 10th-ranked Panthers will try to make it two years in a row at Ft. Dodge tonight (Tuesday) in Oskaloosa, when they face the hosting Indians in a regional final between two of the top-10 teams in 4A.

The big story coming out of Oskaloosa has been the health of ace pitcher Alexis Groet.

Groet had not played in any games since late June due to a non-softball related head injury, but she made her return to the circle in the Indians? 9-1 win over Clear Creek-Amana on Saturday night.

Groet had a good outing against the Clippers, throwing a complete-game seven innings and giving up one unearned run on six hits and two walks, while striking out five.

The junior star has a 15-2 record this season and a 1.36 ERA. She?ll be facing a Mt. Pleasant offense that has been on fire all month.

The Panthers are 7-2 in the month of July. They?ve scored seven runs or more in six of those nine games and double-digits in their last three, all wins over rival Washington.

Offensively, Mt. Pleasant has three players who are hitting over .400 on the season. Bailey Johnson is hitting a scorching .505, Jackie Fraise is hitting .420 and Chi Glaha is batting 4.17.

Mt. Pleasant comes into the game with 20 home runs, led by Johnson, with 15. Sarah Moffett has three and Anni Liechty and Allison Buckert each have one. Johnson leads class 4A in RBIs, with 69.

Starting pitcher Cali Liechty is expected to go tonight, although her and Johnson have been splitting games all season.

Cali is 10-6 with a 2.61 ERA, and has only given up one earned run in her last two games. Johnson is 16-2 on the year with a 2.45 ERA.

Oskaloosa has two players hitting over .400 this season (minimum 10 at bats). Cleanup hitter Alexis Westercamp is hitting .434 and leadoff hitter Kylee Silliman is hitting .418.

The Indians have a balanced offense, led by Westercamp, who has six home runs and 35 RBIs Devan Welch has six home runs and 17 RBIs. Silliman has two homers and 25 RBIs and Aubrey Miller has a long ball and 21 RBIs.

Oskaloosa struggled during their stretch without Groet, falling in four of their last five regular season games.

With Groet, however, the Indians have been stellar. They were 24-2 going into the rough stretch. They were fifth-place finishers at the state tournament in 2014 and were upset by Fairfield in the regional semi-final last season.

Mt. Pleasant (28-9) finished sixth at state last year after upsetting Davenport Assumption in the regional final. A win tonight would send them to Ft. Dodge for the 4A portion of the state tournament. They?re first round game would likely be on Tuesday, July 19.

Weather willing, the Panthers and Indians will start up at 7 p.m., in Oskaloosa tonight (Tuesday).