HEE HAW!
PARTY ON PARADE!
SUPREME EXPERIENCE
Karly Spear named Champion Showman after getting first-place finishes in half of the categories
By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer
Karly Spear, 15, of Newton, remembered how nervous she felt competing in the Brice Leonard Supreme Showmanship Contest at the Jasper County Fair for the very first time. She told herself to have fun and just enjoy the experience along with her fellow competitors, no matter the outcome. But that was last year. Spear found herself competing in the pavilion again this year. She was confident and sought out the assistance from fellow 4-H’ers on how to present livestock outside her expertise. And it paid off. Not only was she named Champion Showman, she earned top-two finishes in five of the six species shows. In addition to her runner-up finishes
SUPREME | 3
Prairie Days 2025 was a rootin’, tootin’ good time
A lifelong passion
Jasper County Fair Grand Marshal Doug Woebbeking has taken on almost every role with 4-H and the fair and still loves it as much as when he started
By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer
For as long as he can remember, 4H has been a part of Doug Woebbeking’s life. From growing up on a farm in Gladbrook to starting his own 4-H club with his kinds and finally becoming Jasper County Fair Board President, Woebbeking has taken on every role and still loves it as much as when he started.
For the time, effort and enthusiasm he has given to 4-H and the fair, Woebbeking was named Grand Marshal for the 2025 Jasper County Fair Parade.
“It is quite an honor,” Woebbeking said.
Woebbeking has been involved with 4-H ever since he was a kid. His parents were big supporters and it was a staple during his formative years. Following high school graduation, Woebbeking attended Iowa State University where he continued his interest in agriculture by majoring in ag business. He used that degree to begin work in the wholesale fertilizer business.
“I’ve been doing that since 1980 and
Christopher Braunschweig/PCM Explorer
Participants and spectators enjoyed the spectacle of the Jasper County Fair Parade on Monday, July 21 in downtown Colfax. The Jasper County Fair celebrated this year with a birthday theme, coinciding with the fair turning 170 years old.
Party blowers, party hats, big cakes and candles! The Jasper County Fair knows how to throw a memorable birthday parade
Christopher Braunschweig/PCM Exploarer Jasper County Fair Parade Grand Marshal Doug Woebbeking greets the crowd during the parade July 21 in Colfax.
Christopher Braunschweig/PCM Explorer
Karly Spear, 15, of Newton, was named the champion of the Brice Leonard Suprememe Showmanship Contest on July 24 at the Jasper County Fairgrounds in Colfax.
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer
A little rain couldn’t stop the good times in the Wild West at Prairie Days 2025 in Prairie City. From the bubble cannon to kids competitions and all of the entertainment on the stage, the event once again showed how great the Prairie City community is.
Worth Mentioning
Send your event to news@pcmexplorer.com
PCM Food Pantry
The PCM Food Pantry at the Monroe Presbyterian Church, 113 S. Main St. in Monroe, is open 9 a.m. to noon Thursdays and 9 a.m. to noon and 6 to 7 p.m. Mondays.
PCM Clothing Closet
The PCM Clothing Closet, 100 W. Jefferson St. in Prairie City, is open from 9 to 11 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. every Thursday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays.
Upcoming events at The Gathering Place in Monroe
Thursday, July 24
• 8-11am Playgroup
• 1pm Movement with Sean
• 5pm Acoustic Jamm
Friday, July 25
• Closed for Old Settlers
Monday, Aug. 4
• 10am Video Exercise Class
Tuesday, Aug. 5
• 8-11am Playgroup
• 8am Coffee and Prayer
• 2pm Game Time
Thursday, Aug. 7
• 10am Understanding end of life with clarity and care
• 1pm Movement with Sean
Quilts of Valor being presented during Old Settlers
The Monroe Honor Guild will recognize 13 veterans with a Quilt of Valor at Monroe’s Old Settlers at 12:15 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2 in the Town Square Park.
TOPS
TOPS 1025 meets at 5:30 p.m. every Monday at the First Reformed Church in Prairie City for weigh-in, with meeting to follow. Go to the north side parking lot at the church and enter in the north door. Call 515-994-2200 for information.
Lighthouse Recovery meetings
Lighthouse Recovery Ministries host a Men’s and Ladies Recovery meeting at 6:30 p.m. each Monday at Grace Alive Church, 703 W. Second St. in Prairie City. Contact Barb at b.miller@lighthouserecoveryia.com with questions.
Free vision screening at Pella Regional
Pella Regional Health Center, in partnership with the Leighton Lions Club, will offer free vision screenings for children ages 6 months through kindergarten from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14 in the Conference Room at Pella Regional Health Center. Screenings will be conducted by Iowa KidSight, a statewide vision screening program coordinated by the Lions Clubs of Iowa and the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences.
Screening results will be evaluated by experts at the University of Iowa. If concerns are detected, families will receive a referral letter along with a list of local ophthalmologists and optometrists for follow-up care.
For more information, contact Amanda Drost at 641-621-2362 or email adrost@pellahealth.org.
Explorer PCM
Monroe’s annual 5K registration
Registration is still open for the MAMM 5K during Monroe’s Old Settlers weekend until 8 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 2. Registration for the 5K is $25 and current PCM students may run for free, $12 if they would like a t-shirt. Online registration is available at https:// www.runreg.com/12972 Award categories
start for both male and female in the following age categories: ages 9 and under, ages 10-14, ages 15-19, ages 20-29, ages 30-39, ages 40-49, ages 50-59, ages 60-69 and ages 70 & up. First, second and third medals will be awarded in each age category, as well as a personalized PR board for the Overall Male and Overall Female winners.
Online registration for this event closes at 5 p.m. July 31. After online registration closes, use day of race registration, cash or check only on the morning of the race. Walk-up registration on the day of the race is from 6:45 to 7:30 a.m., and cost on the day of the race is $28. T-shirts should be available the
morning of the race! The race starts and ends at 117 W. Marion St. in Monroe.
Kid’s races on the square follow the race, along with other family activities at Monroe’s Annual Old Settler’s event.
Questions about the event? Contact volunteer race director Phyllis Peter at 515-577-3912.
Managing weather-related problems in the vegetable garden
Not all problems in the vegetable garden are caused by insect pests or diseases. Hot temperatures and heavy or inconsistent rainfall can lead to deformed fruit and low yields. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach horticulture specialists discuss common weather-related issues in the vegetable garden and offer tips for managing them.
According to Aaron Steil, consumer horticulture extension specialist, high temperatures, particularly those above 90°F during the day or 75°F at night, can cause blossom drop in crops such as tomatoes, peppers and green beans. Flowers may fail to form or fall off before pollination, leading to reducedyields.
“Temperatures above 85°F can delay ripening in vegetables like tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, causing fruit to remain green longer. Cool-season crops like lettuce, spinach and peas often stop growing altogether,” said Steil. “While soil is typically cooler than the air temperature, if it exceeds 86°F, potato tubers stop forming. Heat also causes incomplete or poor pollination in vine crops like cucumbers
and squash, resulting in misshapen produce.”
Flavor is also affected by hot weather. Cucumbers may taste bitter, and crops like melons and carrots may have reduced sweetness as sugars are used at a higher rate in the heat, Steil noted.
Managing heat stress in crops is challenging, but Steil recommends deep weekly watering when conditions are dry to reduce plant stress and promote deep, resilient roots. Adding a layer of mulch helps lower soil temperatures and reduces water lost to evaporation.
Heavy or inconsistent rainfall can also cause problems in the vegetable garden.
“Tomatoes, particularly large-fruited varieties, may crack from rapid growth, especially under high temperatures and direct sunlight,” said Steil. “Cabbage heads can split after heavy rainfall as excess water creates internal pressure from quick uptake.”
Inconsistent rainfall can lead to blossom end rot in tomatoes, peppers and summer squash. This begins with a brown or black spot on the fruit’s blossom end (bottom) because of a calcium deficiency. “The deficiency is caused by wide fluctuations in soil moisture, which impairs calcium uptake by the roots, he said. “Secondary infections follow, causing the fruit to rot.” While rainfall cannot be controlled, consistent soil moisture can reduce these issues. During dry periods, water deeply once a week. Mulch can also help reduce evaporation from the soil surface. If fruit shows signs of blossom end rot, discard it. Damaged produce with no signs of decay is still edible, but ensure it is used or processed quickly, as it will not store well.
Perrin,
Iowa State University
Tomatoes are showing signs of blossom end rot this time of year.
Prairie Days traditions continue
Supreme
for the horse and dairy categories, Spear secured first place for beef and sheep and tied for first place in goat alongside Claire Kucera. She was close to securing a top-two finish for the swine show, but was inched out by this year’s Reserve Champion Showman, Grace Guy.
Looking back on the contest, Spear told Newton News she will be taking with her the experience and knowledge she gained from showing the different animals.
“In the past two years, I’ve had some animals that
maybe weren’t perfectly behaved, so it’s just learning to keep my composure and work hard at it,” Spear said, acknowledging that trying to keep animals like pigs in line for the judges can be difficult. “If you get a bad one it can be kind of hard getting them to go.” Guy, 17, of Newton, had also previously competed in the contest. Like Spear, she felt much more prepared this time around than she did a few years ago.
“Last time, I came in dead last,” Guy said. “It was humbling to say the least. I think this time I knew what I was doing. I had a little bit more experience under my belt. I kinda knew what to expect, and I think my confidence level has gone up in that big span of three years just from showing my species. That’s been great.”
Her placement in this year’s contest shows just how
much Guy has progressed and improved. Contributing to her Reserve Champion win were her three, top-two placements in swine, beef and sheep. Guy felt pretty happy with that turnout, especially considering she only shows dairy cattle.
“So to sit there and go, ‘OK, I got second behind the person who won that this week’ — it was pretty cool,” Guy said.
Both champions agree they put more work into this year’s contest after competing in it previously.
“My dad always says, ‘You get what you put into it.’ And I think this year I really took that to heart and I put a lot into it,” Guy said. “I worked with as many kids as I could and I tried to stack as much experience as I could right in there. Thank you to everybody who put it on. This was great.”
Grand Marshal
I’m still working today,” Woebbeking said. Following college graduation, he also got married and moved to Newton. Since 4H had always been a part of his life, once he had kids, he knew he wanted to continue the involvement with them.
more. It could be very trying, it is all about parenting, but reminding them this is what it is all about. The reward is fair.”
During the next phase of his 4H journey, Woebbeking got involved with the fair board. He was ready to move on from leading a club and saw the board as a way to continue giving back and growing the fair and its offerings.
“I have two kids and when they were old enough to be in 4-H I started my own club, Lucky 7s,” Woebbeking said. “I got a bunch of families involved that weren’t familiar with 4-H but friends with my kids. There were seven families and that is where we got Lucky 7s.”
These years working with the kids were some of the best for him. Even though they could be challenging — teenagers aren’t always excited about hard work — he loved every minute of it.
“When my kids were in 4-H, those were the best years. They showed cattle, pigs and sheep,” Woebbeking said. “I see families bringing their livestock now and I think, ‘Wow, I did all of that.’ The weeks before fair, walking the pigs and cattle, washing the cattle, I don’t have to do any of that any-
“I got on the fair board and was on it for 18 years. I am still very much involved. I helped with a couple of projects. The last few years I helped bring the inflatables,” Woebbeking said. “Each fair board member has an agenda and my agenda has always been about the youth. I never really got involved with being a livestock superintendent, I was more of the other side, which I always enjoyed. It is about the kids. We wouldn’t have this county fair if it wasn’t for the kids. The kids make the fair, so that is what we need to focus on.”
Now, Woebbeking is still involved, helping fundraise and as a grandfather to the newest 4H members. He is always excited for his kids and now grandkids to attend the fair knows it is because of their great experience that they make their way back each year.
“I think there are still great memories coming down the road,” Woebbeking said.
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer
A little rain couldn’t stop the good times in the Wild West at Prairie Days 2025 in Prairie City. From the bubble cannon to kids competitions and all of the entertainment on the stage, the event once again showed how great the Prairie City community is.
Jasper County Fair 2025
8
8 a.m. MAMM
7:30 a.m. Registration
8 a.m. Car Show
9 a.m. Horseshoe Pitch Tourn.
8:30 a.m. Registration
9 a.m. Children’s Sports
9:30 a.m. Tractor Show
10 a.m. Money Toss
10:30 a.m. Sand Volleyball Tourn. 3 on 3 Basketball Tourn. Frog Jumping Contest
11 a.m. Kids Water Fights
11:30 a.m. Adult Bags Tourn.
12:30 p.m. Flag Ceremony
12:15 p.m. Quilt of Valor
1 p.m. Recognition Awards
1:15 p.m. Wilson Dance Co.
2 p.m. Steppin Out Dance Studio
2:45 p.m. Car Show Awards Tractor Show Awards
7 p.m. Parade
6 p.m. Registration
8 p.m. Kiwanian Award
8:15 p.m. Parade Awards Raffle Winners
8:30 p.m. Silent Disco The Ables
PCM softball ends historic season with fourth-place finish at state tournament
Mustangs advance to first-ever state semifinal
FORT DODGE — Libby
Winters is an unassuming quiet freshman who can often be seen in the back of the team’s victory selfie pictures.
But when she strolled to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning with her squad down 4-2 in the opening round of the Iowa High School State Softball Championships, not a single member of the Class 3A No. 6 PCM softball team had any doubt she would come through for her team.
Winters hammered a pitch from West Liberty starting pitcher Mallory Wulf that got by center fielder Sully Hall.
The triple that reached the fence in left-center field scored two runs and Winters gave the Mustangs a win in walk-off fashion after she sprinted home following a throwing error by the Comets.
“She hit the ball hard, and I thought originally we’d get one run there and be in a good spot to win it,” PCM head softball coach Shaun Hudnut said. “When it crossed up the center fielder, I thought holy crap we’re going to tie it now. We got lucky with the overthrow to third. When you hit the ball hard, good things can happen.”
The Mustangs trailed 1-0 after five innings and lost a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh but claimed their first-ever quarterfinal win at the state tournament, 5-4, after a threerun seventh of their own in front of 4,724 fans at Iowa Central Field inside Harlan Rogers Sports Complex.
Winters, who leads the Mustangs in several offensive categories, wasn’t trying to be a hero in her final at-bat, but she delivered perhaps the biggest hit of her prep career so far with the game on the line.
“It felt good off the bat,” Winters said. “It was a hard, straight hit, but I thought it was right to the center fielder. It was still at the fence when I got to second, so I just kept going. And the ball got past them on the throw in so I figured I may as well just go for it.”
Winters finished with four hits, one triple, two runs and two RBIs and she earned the win in the circle after getting the final two outs in the top of the seventh.
Winters improved her teambest batting average to .529 and raised her team-high on-base percentage to .555.
She also led PCM (26-6) with 54 hits, 41 runs, five triples, 32 RBIs, 79 total bases and 23 stolen bases.
She lowered her earned run average to 2.07 after stranding a runner on base and getting the final out in the seventh on a swinging strikeout.
“It felt great to do that for my team,” Winters said. “And now Addison Steenhoek gets another game.” Steenhoek is the team’s only senior. She would have gotten one more game anyway but
is now guaranteed two more games with her teammates. She reached base three times in the game. Steenhoek was hit by a pitch in the first inning, singled in the sixth and drew a one-out walk after Tori Lindsay singled with one out in the bottom of the seventh.
“It’s not just about having one more game. It’s more about having a few more days with these girls,” Steenhoek said. “We have a blast in the dorms before the games, and I’m blessed to get the chance to do some more damage.”
The game against No. 7 West
Liberty was scoreless through two innings, but PCM left the bases loaded in the bottom of the first. Winters and Lillian Humpal singled after Steenhoek was hit by a pitch.
But Wulf got Hadley Millang to pop out to the first baseman and Camden Webb grounded out to first base to end the threat.
“We didn’t get a great jump on the (Humpal) base hit,” Hudnut said. “I thought we should have scored on that. I thought that would come back to haunt us, but thankfully it didn’t.” West Liberty (22-9) scored in
the top of the third against PCM starting pitcher Rylee Parsons. Kylee Daufeldt led off the inning with a double and then scored on Jayleen Kivi’s one-out RBI single. Daufeldt had two of the Comets’ seven hits.
Wulf retired the Mustangs in order in the second, third and fifth innings and Webb walked with two outs in the fourth but was left stranded.
Winters singled with two outs in the third but was later called out after the first-base umpire determined she left early on an attempt to steal second base.
It was the only thing Winters did wrong all night. PCM took its first lead in the sixth.
Steenhoek and Winters opened the frame with back-toback singles and then Humpal moved them up a base on a sacrifice bunt.
That brought Millang to the plate, and she delivered a clutch two-run single to push the
tangs in front for the first time.
Mus-
The freshman ranks second behind Winters with 29 RBIs this summer.
By Troy Hyde PCM Explorer
Photo by Matthew Putney Media
PCM freshman Libby Winters takes away a three-run homer from Dubuque Wahlert’s Anna Roling during a Class 3A semifinal game at Harlan Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge on July 23. The top-ranked Golden Eagles advanced to the championship game following a 7-1 win over the Mustangs.
Troy Hyde/ PCM Explorer
PCM junior Tori Lindsay didn’t need her glove to catch this ball during the sixth inning of the Mustangs’ 7-1 loss to top-ranked Dubuque Wahlert at the state softball tournament on July 23.
“I was just looking to put the ball in play and get us off the slump we were in,” Millang said. “We just had to stay confident in ourselves.”
Parsons went back to the circle for the seventh but was pulled after giving up a leadoff double to Pearson Hall.
Parsons handled Hall, a Drake University softball recruit, and the rest of West Liberty’s potent offense well most of the night. She was charged with two earned runs on five hits and struck out one and needed only 68 pitches to get through sixplus innings.
“You want to win, but you can’t let the nerves get to you,” Parsons said. “You have to figure out how to pitch like it’s just another game.
“We knew they would be a difficult team to pitch to. They’re a good hitting team one through nine. We talked about living out of the zone with them. You want to throw strikes, but we wanted them to chase.”
Webb relieved Parsons in the top of the seventh but gave up the lead after allowing two earned runs on two hits and two walks in 1/3 of an inning. One of those hits was a two-run go-ahead double by Wulf. Hudnut then made the switch to Winters, who improved to 4-1 after getting the final two outs.
“(Parsons) pitched a heck of a game,” Hudnut said. “We had to limit damage and make sure the bottom of the order wasn’t getting on base for the girls at the top. She did an excellent job with 1-4. Pearson Hall is batting .614 with 15 homers and she got one hit and it was the one she got late. (Parsons) executed the game plan perfectly.
“We went with our gut as far as taking her out. It didn’t work out, but luckily we got back in it in our at-bat in the seventh. Those were two big outs from (Winters).”
Lillian Knapp grounded out to Pearson Hall at shortstop in her pinch-hit at-bat to open the seventh. Lindsay smoked a hard single to left field and Steenhoek walked to put the tying runs on base. Ryan DeVore replaced Steenhoek as a courtesy runner on first base before Winters came through with the tworun triple. DeVore scored two runs in the win.
“I’m trying to put the ball in play,” Winters said. “I didn’t have my best game here last year, so I’m just trying to get good hits, advance runners and keep the thing moving.”
PCM took a seven-game win streak into the state semifinals against topranked Dubuque Wahlert, which survived its quarterfinal game, 1-0, against No. 13 and eighth-seeded Center Point-Urbana on July 21. They played another error-free game and had just 21 miscues in 32 games this summer.
Winters and Millang, two of PCM’s freshmen starters, accounted for five of the team’s eight hits and all four RBIs. Webb also walked twice.
Dubuque Wahlert 7, PCM 1 PCM’s last three opponents have ranked in the top six in 3A in home runs. But it wasn’t until July 23 that it mattered on the scoreboard.
Dubuque Wahlert proved its No. 1 ranking against the Mustangs during a 3A semifinal, and the Golden Eagles’ three dingers powered them to a 7-1 win on Channel Seeds Field inside Harlan Rogers Sports Complex.
Explorer PCM
“They are just a really good team,” Hudnut said. “We watched them on film from multiple games. Their first two hitters are some of the best hitters in any class. Three through nine can hit the ball, too. We knew it was going to be a tough challenge.”
Dubuque Wahlert came into the state tournament with 46 home runs. The Golden Eagles belted three against PCM, and Winters took another one away in what turned out to be the best defensive play of the tournament.
Julia Roth, a University of Iowa recruit, clubbed two homers and drove in four runs at the plate and spun a six-hitter in the circle to lead Wahlert to the championship game. Roth now has an Iowa-best 24 homers and 161 total bases. Her 64 RBIs rank second in the state and first in 3A, too.
But the Golden Eagles cranked out 17 hits in all. No. 7 hitter Hayley Lang finished with four hits, No. 8 hitter Natalie Ruba slugged a tworun homer in the fifth and UNI recruit Kylie Sieverding added three hits, one walk and one run.
“We had to hit spots and keep it on the edges,” Hudnut said about his pitchers. “We did well for the most part, but when we missed they got us. They also hit some good pitches.”
PCM reached the state semifinals for the first time in program history. The Mustangs led the game after Kyra Naeve’s two-out RBI infield single in the third made it 1-0.
But PCM stranded two runners on base in the first and third innings and left them loaded in the second. Roth (17-5) allowed two hits and hit one batter the rest of the way.
“We knew we’d have to score today, and we had multiple opportunities to score in the early innings,” Hudnut said. “We just didn’t capitalize on those. They came back to haunt us.”
Steenhoek walked with one out in the first and Winters singled to put two runners on base. The inning ended when courtesy runner DeVore was thrown out at third base.
The ball appeared to be bobbled by the Wahlert third basemen, but DeVore was called out anyway after a brief conference by the umpires.
Webb drew her team-leading 14th walk to lead off the second. Naeve followed with a bunt single and Lindsay was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
The inning ended after a ball hit by Steenhoek was caught near the fence in left field.
Winters laced a double to open the third. She went to third on a sacrifice bunt from Humpal and eventually scored on Naeve’s two-out RBI single.
Winters started the state tournament 6-for-6, and her incredible catch in center field in the third took three runs off the board for Wahlert Catholic.
She finished with two hits, one double and one run for the Mustangs, while Naeve also had two hits and one RBI. Winters leads PCM with 15 doubles.
“Through two games, (Winters) has done everything she can to prove she’s one of the best players in Class 3A,” Hudnut said. “She’s a fantastic center fielder. That play where she robbed the home run is such a huge play. If that’s not the play of the tournament, I don’t know what is. It was an unreal catch.”
Steenhoek singled with two outs in the fourth but was thrown out at second trying to stretch it to a double.
After a 1-2-3 fifth, Webb was hit by a pitch in the sixth and Addison Hudnut reached on a fielder’s choice. Lindsay opened the seventh with a hard single to left field.
Steenhoek finished with one hit and one walk, Lindsay singled and was hit by a pitch and Webb walked once and was hit by a pitch on a 3-0 count. Millang also walked with one out in the third.
Parsons (13-2) got the start in the circle for PCM and took the loss after allowing four earned runs on 10 hits and one walk in 3 2/3 innings.
Winters tossed the final 2 1/3 innings and surrendered three earned runs on seven hits with one strikeout.
The Mustangs led 1-0 through three, but the Golden Eagles plated four in the fourth and three in the fifth.
Roth belted a three-run homer in the fourth and then snuck one inside the fair pole in left field for her 24th dinger in the fifth.
Albia 9, PCM 1, 6 innings
FORT DODGE — The season did not end the way PCM wanted it to on July 25.
But the Mustangs went toe-to-toe with two of the best teams in the class the past few days and brought home a state semifinal trophy from Harlan Rogers Sports Complex.
And no other PCM team in program history can claim to have done that. No matter how hard the past few games were on the Mustangs’ emotions.
“We told the girls before the game started, regardless of what happened in this game, we’re going to
be super proud of what this season was,” Coach Hudnut said. “We talked about how challenging it is to get back here, and we were able to do that. Then we took that next step of playing in the state semifinals. We came up short in that one and today, but it’s still our best finish ever.”
The Mustangs were tied with No. 5 Albia through five innings and were hoping to get one final at-bat from the top of their order with the game on the line, but the Lady Dees had other ideas.
Webb and relief pitcher Parsons walked four Albia batters in the bottom of the sixth, PCM committed its only error of the game and Lady Dees’ clean-up hitter Addie Pearson slugged a walk-off grand slam to end the game early, 9-1.
Webb, who took the loss in the circle, also allowed a bases-loaded two-run single to No. 9 hitter Madeline VanLoon to break the 1-all tie.
Webb didn’t get a check swing strike from the home plate umpire that would have been the second out early in the inning, too. An appeal to the first-base umpire also ended with a no swing call.
“It was a 1-1 pitcher’s dual through the fifth and things just got away from us,” Coach Hudnut said. “It didn’t go quite the way we wanted it to go that inning, but the check swing they didn’t give us was clear on video. If we get that call it would have been two outs, and it completely changes the entire complexion of the inning.”
As frustrating as that non-call was, PCM (26-6) still had only four hits at the plate, and the Mustangs left the bases loaded in the fourth and sixth and did not score in those frames.
PCM’s lone run came in the fifth. Naeve singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Addison Hudnut and stole third before scoring on a pinch-hit RBI fielder’s choice by Knapp.
But Albia starting pitcher Grace Pence, who made the all-tournament team, had a perfect game through three.
“We had multiple scoring opportunities in the game,” Coach Hudnut said. “We have to figure out how to punch a run through. We have to score more than one run when we get up here.”
Lindsay was hit by a pitch for a school record 18th time to open the fourth. She went to second on Steenhoek’s sacrifice bunt and then Winters and Humpal delivered backto-back singles with one out.
Pence (24-3) got out of the inning with back-to-back strikeouts though.
“I just keep adding to it,” Lindsay said about the hit by pitch school record. “I guess I’m just hittable. I do hug the plate a lot.“
In the sixth, Humpal walked with one out but was thrown out trying to steal second base.
That became a more significant result after Hadley Millang and Naeve walked and Webb singled to load the bases.
The Mustangs’ final at-bat ended with another strikeout by Pence, who fanned eight in the win.
“It was exactly like the Wahlert game,” Coach Hudnut said. “We had opportunities early in that one and didn’t cash in. We had a chance to be up two or three or possibly four today, and that changes how they attack at the plate, too. That’s a big area we can still grow in.”
Winters, Humpal, Naeve and Webb had PCM’s four hits. Naeve scored one run, walked once and stole one base to lead the offense, while Humpal and Millang each walked once.
It was Naeve’s 10th steal of the season and Humpal ended the summer tied for second on the team with nine walks. Knapp registered her fifth RBI of the year from the bench.
Winters was the Mustangs’ all-tournament team selection. She finished 7-of11 from the plate with one double, one triple, two RBIs and two runs and she got the pitching win in the quarterfinals against West Liberty.
She also made an incredible defensive play against Wahlert on July 23 that ended up No. 2 on ESPN’s top 10 plays for the day.
“Everyone brought what they had this year, and I wish it was enough to get to the state championship, but there’s always next year,” Lindsay said.
There won’t be a next year for Steenhoek, who was the team’s only senior. She finished her final season ranked second on the team with 37 hits, 13 doubles, 56 total bas-
es and seven hit by pitches. She ranked third in batting average at .398 and posted a fielding percentage of .991 and set a school record in career putouts.
Webb was the losing pitcher. She allowed seven runs — six earned — on eight hits and four walks and she fanned four in 5 1/3 innings. Parsons did not get an out. She allowed two earned runs on one hit and one walk.
“(Parsons) started the first two games and (Webb) didn’t get into the semifinal game,” Coach Hudnut said about his decision to start Webb in the circle against Albia. “We have all the confidence in the world in (Webb), and we wanted all of our pitchers to get experience up here. We’re trying to play the long game some, too.”
Webb faced one over the minimum through three innings. Pearson belted a solo home run in the fourth to give the Lady Dees a lead. Albia (30-4) stranded a total of five runners in the fourth and fifth frames.
Pearson led the Lady Dees with two home runs and five RBIs from the No. 4 spot in the lineup.
Pence ranked second in 3A with 274 strikeouts in 164 2/3 innings.
Besides tying for second in the state with the 18 hit by pitches, Lindsay also did not commit an error in 101 chances.
Fifteen players in 3A with at least 43 opportunities did not commit an error this summer but only four had more chances than Lindsay.
“It’s super important to me,” Lindsay said about her defense. “My friends make fun of me for taking my EDDs (every day drills) seriously. My goal this year was to get my job done and help the team win.”
Notes: The 3A all-tournament team included 11 players, four from champion Williamsburg and three from runner-up Dubuque Wahlert. The Raiders claimed their third straight 3A title with a 3-2 win over Wahlert in the title game. … PCM was seventh in the class with a school-record 65 doubles and set a school record with a 3A-most 42 hit by pitches. ... PCM’s 26 wins are the most for the program since at least 2008-09.
Tori Lindsay
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
PCM junior Lillian Humpal runs down a fly ball in left field during a Class 3A semifinal game against topranked Dubuque Wahlert on July 23.
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
PCM junior Addison Hudnut lays down a sacrifice bunt against Albia during the third-place game at the state softball tournament on July 25.
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