West Branch downs Pekin in postseason

WEST BRANCH - It's not often the play of the game happens in the first inning of a softball game, but it happened that way Wednesday in a Class 2A regional semifinal game between Pekin and West Branch.

West Branch got the better of that play and went on to win 2-1 to advance to play the winner of today's game between Van Buren and Louisa-Muscatine. West Branch has a 7-8 record. Pekin's season ends at 7-7.

'We are all feeling pretty somber right now,” Pekin head coach Shelby Atwood said.

Atwood says goodbye to a special group of seniors she coached when they were in middle school.

Sami Greiner, Cari Duwa, Remi Duwa, Kylie Davis, Emilee Linder and Faith Goudy are the seniors.

This is her second year as head coach but she had a year as an assistant as well.

'I have been around them a long time,” she said. 'It is tough for them and tough for me to see it end. I have built some very special relationship with them, especially starting in middle school. They all really love the game. The kind of people they are makes them special to me, for a lot reasons.”

Linder led off the game with a hard-hit ball that got past the third baseman, Linder's position, then Allison Bainbridge had a hit. With one out Emi Zook singled up the middle and Atwood sent Linder home, but a perfect throw from center field allowed the catcher to tag Linder out.

'I would not of done that different,” Atwood said. 'Sooner or later, I have to see what their outfield arms are like and that was in the first inning with six innings left.”

She also had a sprinting Linder, who is one of the quickest and fastest runners on the team, so it was an easy decision for the coach.

West Branch got a solo home run in the second. Pekin tied it in the sixth when Bainbridge singled, stole second, advanced on Zook's sacrifice fly and scored on Taylor Parmenter's ground out.

Kylie Davis pitched the first three innings for Pekin and gave up two hits with no walks. Faith Goudy pitched the fourth and fifth innings and gave up two hits and no walks. Cari Duwa threw the last inning with three hits, a run and a walk.

'I thought it was impressive the way they used their three pitchers,” West Branch head coach Chandran Lapel said. 'They can be effective because hitters have to make big adjustments. They all came in and threw strikes and that kept us off balance a little bit.”

The defense of both teams was well played.

'Defensively I thought we were fantastic,” Atwood said. 'Our pitchers threw well enough to keep us in the game. We let too many girls get on base is what it comes down to.”

Pekin struck out three times in the seventh inning, but the third was dropped and Hannah Lucas reached base for the third time in the game. She stole second but a lineout ended the game.

'For this to be a 2-1 ballgame, there were some very good defense played,” Lapel said. 'Pitching and defense for both teams was just great. Hats off to Pekin for the way they play.”