Two games, two heart breaks as Northeast gets walked off twice in a row; Finish Tied for 7th in Class 2A
Jul. 19—FORT DODGE, Ia. — Two games, two heartbreaking losses as the Northeast Rebels finished their 2023 season at the state tournament in Fort Dodge on Wednesday.
Their journey at state began Tuesday in a wild back and forth game between Northeast and the Regina Catholic Regals as the two teams met in the IGHSAU Class 2A State Quarterfinals on Tuesday afternoon.
Junior Madison Kluever got things started for the Rebels, taking a two strike pitch to deep left field to give Northeast a leadoff home run to begin their first state game since 2020.
Kluever then took the mound in the bottom of the first with a 1-0 lead. Despite giving up a two out single, Kluever kept the Regals quiet.
Neither team had much success in the second inning as there was a combined one base runner. Northeast had a shot in the top of the third after a pair of infield singles by Alivia Chambers and Emma Kjergaard gave them two runners on. However, they could not add to their lead and they stayed up 1-0.
In the bottom of third, the Regals struck with a one out single followed by an RBI triple to make it a tie game. Regina Catholic then took the lead on an RBI ground out to go up 2-1.
Ella Trenkamp wasted no time responding for the Rebels as she launched an opposite field home run to lead off the fourth and tie the game at two. Cadence Driscoll and Kaitlyn Hansen singled along with a passed ball to give them two runners in scoring position with no outs. An RBI ground out from Ally Kane put Northeast back in front 3-2.
Kluever pitched a clean fourth before giving up a leadoff double to begin the fifth inning. However, she struck out two batters before getting a ground out to end the inning and keep her team in front.
The Regals were able to even this game up in the bottom of the sixth with a fielders choice that made it a 3-3 game heading into the seventh.
Neither team scored and this one needed extra innings.
After a 1-2-3 top of the eighth, the Regals used a leadoff single and a passed ball to put a runner in scoring position with no one out. Kennedy Conner then walked this one off with a double to give Regina Catholic the 4-3 win.
The very next day Northeast met the Lisbon Lions in the consolation round as the two teams played for a tie of fifth place.
This one was also a pitchers duel early as the Rebels and Lions were scoreless through four innings.
However, a Piper Isbell leadoff double in the fifth inning was just the spark Northeast needed as two batters later, Kluever launched a two run home run to center field for her second of the tournament.
Northeast was not done yet as Kjergaard singled and then scored on a Leah Mangelsen double down the right field line to go up 3-0.
In the bottom of the fifth the Lions were threatening with runners on first and second with just one out but Mangelsen was able to turn a double play at third base to escape the jam.
The Lions were not done fighting, using a walk and a couple passed balls to get on the board in sixth, making it 3-1. Another walk brought the tying run to the plate and the Lions took advantage, hitting the game tying home run to even things up at three.
Singles from Kluever and Cadence Driscoll paired with a Trenkamp hit by pitch loaded the bases for Northeast in the top of the seventh. Kaitlyn Hansen was also hit by a pitch, giving Northeast the lead back, 4-3.
In the bottom of the seventh the Lions lucked out with a leadoff error by the Rebels middle infield to put the tying run on base. A stolen base and a single tied the game at four for Lisbon's Addi Peterson.
Peterson did not waste anytime, smacking an opposite field home run to walk off the Rebels and give Lisbon the 6-4 win.
For Northeast, this was their second consecutive day being walked off as they finished their season with a 22-13 record and a tie for seventh place in Class 2A.
