Another test looms for Washington

MANCHESTER - Every team the Washington Demons have faced in the postseason has had a better win-loss record.

It didn't matter to the Demons. Every team lost to Washington. First Grinnell (10-10) fell despite leading 7-1 then Clear Creek-Amana (14-9) was stifled 3-1.

Tuesday will present another team with a better record than Washington's 10-17 mark and the winner will qualify for the state tournament.

Class 4A's second-ranked West Delaware will be the next challenge for the Demons. West Delaware has five players with at least a .427 batting average and three more over .324. Senior pitcher Macey Kleltsch has a 1.05 earned run average with 106 strikeouts and six walks in 133 2/3 innings pitched.

'We are going to see a great team,” Washington head coach Ben Obermann said. 'They are outstanding and ranked second in the state for a reason. They have a 14 or 15 game winning streak.”

West Delaware's last loss was June 20 when it was swept by North Linn. They also lost the previous day, splitting a doubleheader with Williamsburg. June 18 was another doubleheader, but the Hawks lost both games. Four losses in five games in the span of three days seemed to light a fire under the Hawks as they have not lost since.

So maybe they're due to lose. The Demons will attempt to make that happen.

'We have been prepping for this part of the season all year,” Obermann said. 'We're going to go get them. We're going to do what we do. All we can do is give ourselves a chance.”

It is Obermann's first regional final since taking over the helm of the Demons and this is his fifth year coaching at Washington.

'We have been wanting to get to a regional final for a number of years,” Obermann said. 'We are there.”

The Demons were last in a regional final in 2104 after consecutive trips to state in 2012-13.

Demon pitcher Cara Linnenkamp has a special connection to that team because her sister Amber played on those squads.

'I get emotional about this because my sister‘s crew was the last group to go to state,” Cara Linnenkamp said. 'Me being here is amazing and I'm just really proud of this team. We made it this far so why not go all the way.

'Kara has great control right now when she's locked in,” Obermann said. 'We are getting hot at the right time. We were trying to build for July in all three phases of the game and it looks like we are there.”

Linnekamp has a 4.83 ERA with 63 strikeouts, 71 walks in 91 innings pitched. The Demons have four players - Kaitlyn Mitchell, Kellie Dallmeyer, Linnenkamp, Anna Venenga - batting at least .352 and Kinsey Duwa is at .299.

'Our offense has been good all year, but our defense was good (Saturday),” Obermann said. 'This (was) the game we have been searching for.”